


Red Flags

by appending_fic



Series: Partners in (Fighting) Crime [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Case Fic, Comfort, Crime Scenes, Epic Friendship, Fantastic Racism, Gen, Investigations, Male-Female Friendship, Mystery, Partnership, Past Violence, Post-Canon, Racism, Racist Language, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-05-28 10:23:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 31,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6325255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/appending_fic/pseuds/appending_fic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A visit by dignitaries from Europa doesn't turn out as boring as expected when a crime occurs that may threaten relations between the two nations. The investigation thrusts Nick and Judy into confrontations not only with criminals, but also with Europa's dark history. The strength of their friendship may prove to be their only support against the painful realities of an imperfect world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chief Bogo slammed into the bullpen and settled at the podium. He was scowling (admittedly, a difficult fact to ascertain, but Judy was a skilled investigator), but he dropped his arms heavily onto the podium, betraying his exhaustion.

“Good morning, everyone. I don’t have time for the usual pleasantries, so let’s get to business. We are one day out from the Europa visit, and we are nowhere near ready. We’ve got six security sweeps to finish, about three hundred background checks that need doing, and someone needs to hold the Europans’ security team’s paw.”

Next to Judy, Nick swept to his feet.

“Chief, Judy and I are honored to be assigned to such an important and prestigious task. Representing Zootopia to our foreign neighbors, presenting a model of inter-species cooperation to the world-”

“Officer Wilde.” Nick, thankfully, shut his mouth at Chief Bogo’s words. “As much as I hate to entertain your idle fantasies, you have hit the nail on the head. Due to yours and Officer Hopps’ particular...celebrity, Mayor Lionheart decided you would be the best...ambassadors of Zootopia’s victories.” Judy couldn’t quite keep her ears up; for all Nick’s and Chief Bogo’s words, she knew acting as liaisons to the Europan security team was little more than a babysitting job, as Chief Bogo had originally identified it. It was hard to imagine it being as important as sweeping the streets for potential dangers to Europan royalty.

“They are, in fact, arriving in the Zootopia International Airport in an hour, so I need you two in dress blues and awaiting the arrivals in forty-five minutes. The rest of you, I’ll hand out assignments, which we are finishing before anyone gets off shift. Now, get moving!”

Nick, whose paw was rarely far from Judy - her shoulder, arm, paw, or, until she’d firmly explained otherwise, her ear - yanked her off their chair as everyone else began shifting. “Come on, Hopps,” he urged as he darted for the door, dragging Judy behind him. “We’ve got a diplomat to impress.”

As she stumbled out the door after Nick, Judy glanced back at the bullpen. She was almost positive that Chief Bogo gave her a wink, although she’d never be able to prove it.

“You can slow down, Nick!”

“Are you kidding?” He looked back at Judy, grinning toothily, sprout-green eyes gleaming excitedly. “You heard the chief; we’ve got forty-five minutes to meet up with the Europan security team.”

“You’re unusually excited to meet new people.” Because sure, Nick could turn on the charm like nobody else, but he hated wearing that face if he didn’t have to.

“You heard Chief Bogo. This is an opportunity, Cottontail. If we play nice with the security team and keep anyone important from getting assassinated, big things could be coming our way.”

“Ah.” Judy smiled gently in response, although her heart skipped a bit. She couldn’t blame Nick for wanting something more than this, even if the thought of him moving on made her feel a little empty.

“Hey, wait.” Nick slowed and glanced at Judy. Her nose twitched of her own accord, and Nick leaned in close, sniffing at her. “What’s got your tail in a knot?”

“I’m fine,” Judy retorted.

“I don’t think so, Hopps. You’ve got those ears under control, but I _know_ you. You're a sad bunny. Come on; what is it? Worried about if the Europan cops will like you?”

“ _No_. And weren’t you the one who wanted to hurry?”

“When my partner’s in a funk, we’ve got time.” Nick stopped and pulled Judy into a supply closet, pushing her back at arms’ length and tilting his head inquisitively at her. “Now, what’s up?”

Judy shook her head. “No, we’re going to be late. We don’t want you to miss out on your big shot, after all.”

Nick pulled back, eyes narrowed in confusion. “My big…” He suddenly shook his head in a few short jerks. When he met Judy’s gaze again, his gaze was softer. “This partnership’s never going to work if you don’t learn to communicate, Carrots.”

“You don’t have to worry about me-”

“Cottontail. _Judy_.” Once he was certain he had Judy’s attention, Nick pulled her in for a hug, not a tight one, but a very emphatic one. “This isn’t some long game to get away from you. Sheesh, I can’t imagine what you’d be like floundering out here without me. Wait. I _do_ know.”

“Laugh it up, conman,” she muttered into his shoulder, because she couldn’t work up a better retort.

“Judy, if you think for one minute that if Interpol came along and asked me to join, I wouldn’t tell them that these skills, as impressive as they are, are _nothing_ compared to what I can accomplish with Judy Hopps by my side, you _are_ a dumb bunny. The dumbest I’ve ever met.”

Judy hiccuped, a little laugh, even as she felt tears prickling at her eyes. “Oh. It’s just you were saying-”

“Shush. You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Not after what we’ve been through. But you are right; I’m going to use this to springboard to greatness. Imagine: Hopps and Wilde, policing the whole world!”

“That’s not actually how Interpol works-”

“Details.” Nick pulled back and tugged Judy out into the hallway. “Now let’s go impress some fancy Europan cops.”

Forty minutes later, after a hurried drive and a fifteen-minute wait, they finally met the “fancy” cops. There were two of them, a towering bristled boar, dressed in a sharp blue and red uniform, and a dark-furred badger in a darker outfit with fewer adornments. A certain similarity in stance made them look more like military than police officers, and the aborted salute from the badger supported that theory.

Nick didn’t seem to need the extra time to examine their visitors (or, as Judy thought was more likely, he worked much faster at picking up mammals’ moods), so he was striding to them while Judy was still trailing behind.

“Good morning, ladies-”

“ _Captain_ Wilfred Scrofass,” the boar grumbled. “And Constable Gertrude Mellivora.” Her mouth seemed fixed in a permanent scowl. “I suppose you are the liaisons the local police assigned to us.”

“Ah, yes!” Judy jogged up behind Nick and held out a hand to Captain Scrofass. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“Under the circumstances, I cannot agree.” Captain Scrofass paused as Gertrude tugged her down, and listened intently to a moment of whispers. “Although you apparently come highly recommended. Nevertheless, we must secure our luggage and deliver it to our quarters before we can get to work. I trust you can at least perform this adequately.”

“Oh! Yes, well, the baggage claim is this way.” It took a few steps for Judy to regain her balance; she should have expected the King of Europa’s security detail to be serious about their jobs, but the captain’s brusqueness was a bit of a surprise. Maybe it was a captain thing. She glanced at Nick; he had pulled alongside Gertrude, and although he wasn’t talking, he had a wide, sly smile. That left the captain to Judy.

“Um, did you have a nice flight?”

“I was not born with wings.” Judy walked for a few moments in silence; when Captain Scrofass didn’t elaborate, Judy’s shoulders slumped.

“So what sort of threats-”

“It would be wise to postpone any discussion of business until we reach a more private location.” As they rounded the last corner to the baggage claim, Captain Scrofass nodded toward a set of small, khaki bags. “Those are ours.”

“Right on it!” Nick was already scurrying toward the baggage claim; Judy watched after him, chest twisting uncomfortably. Nick wasn’t that accommodating to anyone, unless he was mid-con. She glanced at Captain Scrofass and followed, moving slowly enough that Nick was just tugging the second bag from the conveyor belt when she arrived.

“You’re acting really weird,” Judy muttered as she picked up the first bag, stumbling only a little bit under the weight.

“Ah, relax, Carrots.” Nick winked at her. “Gotta keep our guests happy, right?”

Judy’s chest loosened; Nick’s ears twitched at her first easy breath.

“You gotta relax, Cottontail. This might not be a James Pond film, but we need to be on our best behavior and make nice with the Europans or we _will_ be just pretty faces. Coming!” He broke into a jog, holding up his bag to Captain Scrofuss, who took it with a grunt.

With that assurance, Judy handed over Gertrude’s bag. The badger gave a quiet sound that could have been the words ‘thank you’, or just a hum.

“Anyway, the car’s this way. You’re staying at the-”

“Sh!” Judy’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden noise. “We do not need to discuss this where anyone could hear it. I think it would be best if you drove us to the hotel without any more unnecessary commentary.”

Judy’s ears fell back. “Right. Of course. You can just follow me…”

Judy drove in silence on their way to the Ocelot Hotel the royal party had booked. The back of her neck prickled the entire way, but she didn’t dare look back. Captain Scrofass was already annoyed with her; taking her eyes off the road would probably make it worse. After a few minutes, something warm touched her right paw. She glanced to the right to find Nick smiling gently at her.

The back of her neck was still prickling, but her chest was warm, and her partner was by her side, so she could handle anything.


	2. Chapter 2

Captain Scrofass tossed her bag into her room and turned to Nick. Her nostrils flared briefly, as they had when she’d first met Nick. He kept himself still, not even a twitch of a tail betraying him; if she was going to sit here acting like Nick could go feral any moment, he wasn’t going to give her the benefit of a reaction.

“Where are the other rooms? I need to see where His Majesty and His Grace are to be staying.”

“O - oh! This way!”

And then there was how she was putting Judy on edge. Nick suppressed a growl, but only just. Sure, Judy was new at subterfuge (she’d proven comically inept at undercover work), but every time Scrofass sent those bunny ears down below the crown of Judy’s head, he wanted to hit something.

“Give us half an hour to run a sweep, and then we can discuss security concerns to your heart’s content.”

Scrofass swept past Judy, Constable Mellivora trailing behind. The badger gave Judy a gentle, almost embarrassed smile, before the two of them were gone.

Judy slumped forward into the wall next to Scrofass’ hotel room door. “This job is off to a _fantastic_ start.”

“Aw, don’t worry. It could have gone worse.”

“How?”

Nick stepped up and patted Judy’s shoulder. “You could have kicked her. Or we could have _both_ been foxes.”

Judy jerked up, half-turning to give Nick a wide-eyed look, ears still plastered against her head. “They weren’t giving you trouble, were they?”

“Nothing I haven’t seen before, Cottontail.” Nick gave Judy a smile, but that only seemed to worry her as she narrowed her eyes.

“That doesn’t mean it’s okay. Maybe I can talk to them-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Nick slid into Judy’s path before she could storm off to yell at Captain Scrofass. “We don’t need to make waves. They’re going to be here a week at most, and then I can go back to being the life of the bullpen.”

“But-”

“Let it go.” Nick dropped both his paws on Judy’s shoulders, which slumped under the touch. He gave her shoulders a brief squeeze before stepping away. “It’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before, and at least she’s professional enough to keep her mouth shut. Don’t worry about it.”

“But-” Judy paused, taking a deep breath and smoothing down her fur. “You’re right. I can’t go off on every small-minded bigot we meet.” She peered along the length of the corridor. “Any idea what we can do for...twenty-five minutes?”

“We could at least report in.”

Their report was uneventful, except for Chief Bogo’s admonition for the two of them to keep out of trouble, which was unfair. Nick never went looking for trouble; he and Judy just had a knack for finding it. He suspected Chief Bogo was just a very serious mammal who didn’t think he should be forced to read about sloth drag racing societies.

By the time Captain Scrofass and Constable Mellivora were finished, though, Judy was all but hopping in place. That was enough to keep Nick’s mind off of Captain Scrofass and keep a smile on his face. She’d done the same thing waiting for him at the end of his days at the Academy (at least when she wasn’t neck-deep in an unexpected adventure), bouncing in place as she waited to see him. He still wondered how she’d managed to pass the written exam, given her inability to sit still for more than a few minutes.

Captain Scrofass didn’t look happy, but she wasn’t scowling. She waved at the door to hers and Constable Mellivora’s room. “The accommodations seem adequate. Now, I think it is a good time to discuss our needs and expectations during this visit.”

Scrofass’ suite was larger than both Nick’s and Judy’s apartment, and that was just the living area. A dark green sofa sat next to a pair of brown chairs, all done in large mammal scale. The same color scheme dominated the walls and kitchenette, which boasted a welcome basket that sent a tantalizing scent Nick’s way. One door, half-open, led to a dim bathroom, and the other, closed, probably led to the bedroom.

“Sit.” Nick scrambled to comply with Scrofass’ demand, while Judy moved more slowly. Scrofass dropped herself into one of the chairs. Constable Mellivora remained standing.

Once settled, Judy looked up at Captain Scrofass, her wide-eyed enthusiastic bunny cop look in play. “So, I understand you’re very...conscientious about your responsibilities, but are there any specific threats or concerns you have about this visit?”

Constable Mellivora snorted, earning her a sharp glare from Captain Scrofass.

“No. His Majesty is...well-liked. Our greatest concern is the unrest that has plagued your city, and whether lingering anti-predator sentiments may result in...unpleasantness.”

“Of course not! Zootopia has been much better about inter-species relations. Between outreach and education programs, sensitivity training…” Judy trailed off in the face of Captain Scrofass’ level stare. “Anyway, we don’t anticipate any problems. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do our best to keep an eye out.”

“Precisely. So, I would appreciate an assessment of the criminal threats in Zootopia, so that we might bolster our intelligence.”

“Well, Nick’s the best with that.” Judy patted Nick’s shoulder, drawing Captain Scrofass’ and Constable Mellivora’s attention both.

He offered them a smile that wavered at the edges. “If there’s a part of the criminal underworld I can’t tell you about, it doesn’t exist.”

“Then start sharing. I want to review your colleagues’ background checks before His Majesty arrives tomorrow.”

Detailing everything he knew about Zootopia’s criminal organizations, including Scrofass’ follow-up interrogations (less, of course, the fact that his partner was godmother to Mr. Big’s granddaughter) took Nick close to four hours. Discussing the Europans’ security needs took another two. Judy was clearing flagging by that point, almost slumping onto Nick’s shoulder during a discussion of response protocols. Nick couldn’t blame her, though he kept up a polite smile through the entire process. His jaw was sore and twitching by the end, so finally dropping the smile when Constable Mellivora escorted them out was a relief.

“That was...good?”

Nick snorted and dragged Judy in so he could easily keep his arm wrapped around her shoulders as they headed to the elevators. “That was a disaster, Cottontail. Scrofass clearly thinks we’re a couple of morons - lucky morons, maybe, but not the mammals you want to trust with anything important. I’ll bet you - five bucks - that we’re going to be trotted out for photo ops, and then won’t hear a word from Captain Scrofuss until they’re back on the plane home.” He shoved her into their elevator and jabbed at a button viciously. “So, not the most exciting assignment, but definitely an easy one. No high-speed chases, no double-bluffs, and no conspiracies to destroy the fabric of Zootopia.”

“Yeah…”

Nick rolled his eyes and gave Judy a light punch to the shoulder before he left the elevator. “You sound disappointed.”

“No! I’m not disappointed - obviously it’s great if nothing happens.”

“Chill out, Carrots. I’m not judging. You’ve got an adventurous spirit. I think your parents called you a ‘tryer’?”

Judy’s cheeks reddened, but she was smiling. “I shouldn’t have let you talk to them.”

“What, and keep them worrying about the predator tasked with keeping their little Judy safe? I may be a fox, but I’m not _heartless_.”

Judy chuckled. “They took one look at you and knew you were a sweet kid caught up in a lot of nonsense.”

“You keep talking like that and I’m going to get a big head.”

“Nah.” They’d reached the car now, so Judy pulled her door open and slid in. “I’ve got to remind you that someone knows you’re really a great guy.” She slammed the door, leaving Nick alone, for the moment. His cheeks were warm, and chest somehow both constricted and light.

How did a guy respond to something like that?

Responding in kind, he supposed. Judy needed to know there was someone always in her corner. Even if it was a tiny thing like understanding why a day without a major crime left her disappointed.


	3. Chapter 3

Judy shifted from one foot to the other; they throbbed slowly, a sign of a little too much time spent standing in one place. Next to her, Nick was at parade rest, the only deviation from regulation a tiny smirk at the edge of his mouth. He’d attributed his patience to predatory instincts (he’d actually called it a ‘fox thing’, but Judy had extrapolated), but Judy suspected he also just liked it when all anyone expected of him was to stand still and do nothing.

It had been (Judy surreptitiously checked her watch, despite a warning growl from Chief Bogo) close to an hour, and the plane wasn’t here yet. It wasn’t the weather; the day was clear and cool, with just a light breeze adding a mild chill to the air.

Nick suddenly tensed and nearly hopped forward a step; he stumbled, earning a sharp look from Captain Scrofass (Judy fantasized about a good slap, even knowing the boar would rip her apart for it), but righted himself a moment later.

“Just north of east, Carrots.”

Judy followed the mumbled direction, and nearly jumped herself when she caught sight of a tiny spark of light that resolved into a larger metallic form slowly growing larger.

“Attention!” Chief Bogo snapped, and the dozen officers besides Nick and Judy snapped to attention. She straightened and tried to smooth down her uniform. Nick smoothly shifted into an attentive stance, offering Judy a sidelong smile before letting his face slip into cool professionalism. Judy fought down a wave of frustration; Nick was able to turn it on and off like it was second nature, leaving her feeling one step behind whenever they got into delicate social situations.

But then, ‘second nature’ didn’t mean ‘natural’. Nick had worked hard to seem exactly what people expected from him, and it had been a necessity.

A roar blared across the runway; Judy started at the unexpected sound, hurriedly shifting back into position before anyone noticed. The plane landed with nary a bump and in a minute was taxiing toward the assembled police officers and, behind them, Mayor Lionheart, the assorted media, and the honchos and other hangers-on that showed up at any official event.

Workers hurried to the plane with a staircase as it slowed to a stop, and silence reigned for a few moments. The slam of the door opening echoed loud in Judy’s ears; she jumped again, flushing as she hurriedly returned to an appropriate stance. 

She did so just in time, it seemed, as a dog - a Golden Retriever, Judy thought - padded onto the stairs. A dozen more dogs, mostly red-furred and of lines Judy was unfamiliar with, followed. All of them were dressed in the red and blue uniform worn by Constable Mellivora - a blue buttoned shirt with red collar and sleeves, and dark red pants.

They split up and spread out on either side of the stairs, except for the Retriever, who marched to Captain Scrofass and offered a salute, which she returned. 

Then the retriever straightened, took a deep breath, and bellowed, “His Majesty the King George Pembroke IV, and His Grace the Duke Anthony Thomas William Pembroke!”

Two dogs no taller than Finnick appeared at the head of the stairs. The one at the front had a narrower face, pale except for the ginger fur around his eyes and darker fur further up, and wore a blocky gold crown. His outfit was white with a red cross edged in blue along his chest, and a white felt cape secured with a simple gold button hanging over his shoulders. He climbed down the stairs at an awkward waddle while the other dog followed a pace behind. This one, whose face and form were shorter, rounder, and fur lacking the darker highlights, was dressed in a more formal version of the guards’ uniforms, no cape, and a thin circlet of gold.

A few moments behind them, two more figures disembarked. The first was a rabbit, (no, Judy corrected herself, a hare), an almost emaciated white-furred figure in a long cotton coat. The second was a squat, short-eared fox with faded red-brown fur, dressed in a shabby coat that may have once been dark blue. He slouched along behind the hare, but his eyes belied the nonchalant pose he was holding. They darted around endlessly, alighting briefly on key mammals, key items. Chief Bogo. Judy. Nick. The limos. Other details important only to him.

Next to Judy, Nick’s eyes narrowed, fixed on the fox. His mouth tugged downward, almost a frown, and Judy’s heart sank. Nick was good at reading moods, and if he was worried about the other fox…

“Your Majesty.” Judy scrambled to focus. Captain Scrofass stood next to the taller royal dog, holding a hand out toward Judy and Nick. “These are the mammals you wanted to meet. Officers Judy Hopps and...Nick Wilde.”

Judy struggled to keep smiling rather that giving Captain Scrofass a piece of her mind. Nick hadn’t spoken up yet, so she kept her mouth shut, as well.

The taller one - George IV - looked the two of them up and down before holding out a paw.

“Do you shake?”

“Oh! Yes.” Judy took the king’s paw gingerly. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir - um, Your Majesty.”

King George smiled gently. “The honor is ours. And you, sir!” He turned to Nick and grabbed one paw in both of his own. “It is a pleasure.” He paused, tilting his head quizzically, at a quiet cough behind him. “Ah, but I’ve been remiss. This-” He waved at the other royal dog, “is our brother, His Grace Anthony Thomas...William. His physician, and my cultural attache, Felix.” The hare and fox, respectively, nodded. “I think you’ve met Captain Scrofass. But this! Ah, Berty! This is Sir Albert Goldenrod.” 

The Golden Retriever all but bounded to King George’s side, smiling toothily; Judy’s legs strained to stand still.

“But there are other niceties to see to. You have superiors? We would meet them. Come, conduct introductions.”

“Of course!” Nick swooped in, stepping to King George’s side and just stopped himself from putting a paw on the king’s shoulder. “Come along, if you would, Your Majesty. This is our mayor, the honorable Leodore Lionheart, a committed public servant if I ever met one…”

As the entourage streamed past Judy, Felix edged close to her. He was smiling toothily, but unlike Sir Goldenrod, it seemed a deliberate choice, rather than a thoughtless expression.

“Ya let the fox do the talkin'? Funny old place, this.” He snapped at her nose. Judy didn’t budge; she was used to having predators in her personal space, and knew well to evaluate hostility.

Though an inch shorter than Felix, Judy did her best to glare down at him. “You’re rude for someone who’s supposed to be cultured.”

Felix shrugged and walked past Judy. “Mammals don’t invite me t’fancy dinners much. But it’s rude t’stay back here while everyone’s jawin'. C’mon.”

Judy followed, letting her fists clench at her sides. She did _not_ like this fox. Cultural attache? More like uncultured buffoon.

She found Nick on the outskirts of the knot of important mammals, who were _jawing_ , as Felix had so inelegantly put it, about whatever politicians thought was important. He gave her a wide smile and leaned close as she stopped next to him.

“What’re your thoughts on the fox?”

“He’s rude. And not nearly as funny as he thinks he is.”

“Ah, we all can’t be as charming as I am.”

“He’s not as charming as _Finnick_. What about you? Do you think he’s up to something?”

“Aw, Cottontail, foxes are _always_ up to something. Very rich inner lives, your average fox.”

“Fine. Anything _sinister_.”

“Hard to say. Ooh! Looks like this little party is on the move.” Indeed, the Europan guards were herding the king and his entourage to one limo. “That’s our cue to join the rest of the cops.”

Chief Bogo dragged the two of them into his car for the Europan escort, but it didn’t seem to be for any need to yell at them.

“I think you made a good impression.”

Judy shook her head. “Captain Scrofass doesn’t like Nick, and she thinks I’m-”

“A rash bunny with no self-control. I’m aware. I was talking about the king. I might want you to make us look good in front of our counterparts, but my boss would prefer you impress the royalty.”

“O - oh.” Judy couldn’t figure out what she’d done to impress King George, but it seemed a bad time to argue.

“Don’t worry, Chief. The king’ll have nothing but good things to say about the ZPD.”

“I hope so.”

The rest of the day was depressingly uneventful. Oh, there were reporters and escorting the king to his suite, but Judy was left to idle at the edge of the crowds. It was times like this she envied Nick, who took the downtime with ease.

But for all his apparent patience, Nick bolted to Judy’s side the moment they were free. He spun her around by one shoulder and pulled her after him as he jogged toward the car.

“Come on, Hopps, let’s get some grub before all the good places close.”

“Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure keeping you fed is one of my duties, so you don’t go rampaging through the produce section at the supermarket. ‘ _Blueeeeberries_!’”

Nick rolled his eyes. “I remember when I thought you were a humorless busybody, instead of a heartless mammal who’d mock a poor, starving fox.”

“And I remember when I thought you were a heartless fox instead of a grumpy, humorless kit.” Judy punched Nick’s hip, earning a sharp, barking laugh from him.

“And the bunny bites back!” he cheered before shifting his arm around Judy's shoulders, a steady warmth. "If I had known you had a smart mouth, I'd have taken to you when we first met."

Judy shook her head, a smile tugging at her mouth. "Nah, I had to work for it. Worth it, though. Every hair-raising moment."

Nick laughed, and Judy let him have the dignity of not mentioning the moist edges of his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Nick was running late enough that he didn’t even allow himself time to soak. He shut off the shower after his first brisk rinse and pulled the curtain aside, only to come nose to gut to Officer Clawhauser.

Nick yelped and scrabbled at his towel, pulling it between him and the cheetah. “Ben!”

Ben pulled back a step, clutching his paws in front of him. “Sorry, Nick. Officer Wilde. It’s just that a Doctor Onyx from the ZU School of Biology left a message for you, and it sounded pretty urgent-”

Towel in place, Nick dodged around Ben and hurried toward his locker. “I know whoever it was thinks it’s really important, Ben, but I’m late for a day of parades and cocktail wieners with diplomats, and for some reason missing out on that is what could get me fired.” Pants on, Nick’s hackles flattened back down and he turned to face Ben, who was wringing his paws, eyes wide and watery. “Look, give me the number and whatever else you’ve got, and I’ll try to get to it.”

“Wonderful!” Ben slipped a thin folder on the bench next to Nick. “I’ll make sure the case number’s assigned to you and Officer Hopps, and feel free to call me if you need anything!”

With that, Ben was gone, leaving Nick to stare behind him, stomach sinking with the realization that Ben had dropped an actual case in his lap. Ben was just so cheerful and helpful that it was easy to forget assigning ad-hoc work to whatever sucker could be conned into doing so was part of his _job_ , and the cheetah could, despite his weight, move incredibly quickly in short bursts...as long as it took him out of range of an officer who’d just realized how much work they’d accepted.

Judy was not going to be happy - no, scratch that. Judy _loved_ community policing, no matter how small the problem ended up being. As long as she was being a help.

Nick, however, was still late. He grabbed the file in one paw and pulled on his shirt with the other, and buttoned as he ran. He hit the front door a moment before Judy, who jumped back as he burst outside.

“I was about to put out a missing mammal report on you.”

“Ha ha,” Nick retorted. “I overslept.”

“Regretting that third slice of pie?”

“Pie has never done anything but good to me, Judy, and I’m hurt to hear you suggest otherwise.” Nick swept past her toward the car. “But I think you were making a point about how late we were.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be a problem if you were a sloth, but we have to obey the speed limit. Come on, Wilde.”

Judy didn’t break the speed limit getting to the Peak Street Convention Center, where the day’s meetings, parties, and the like, were to be held.

But only just.

Nick waved at Chief Bogo as they entered the main convention hall, doing his best to ignore the chief’s glare as they took their place alongside the back walls of the room. 

“Settle in for a long day, Carrots,” he murmured.

It wasn’t actually that boring, aside from the contentless droning about...togetherness, or unity, or whatever. There was some talk about trade agreements and cultural exchange (Nick resolved to mention some little tidbits to Finnick, who’d be delighted to have a new cash flow).

And then there was some fancy cocktail party; while admonished to stay away for the drinks, the ZPD was assigned to wander and keep their eyes and ears open, which meant free snacks!

Judy found him nibbling on a potato puff; she’d picked up a spear of steamed veggies, herself. Her ears were wilting, and though she was alert, there was a hint of hesitation to her movements.

“Buck up, Hopps, we’ve got two more days of this.”

“Uhhh, I _know_. Why couldn’t we get assigned to the street like other cops?”

“ _You’re_ the one who insists on being an enthusiastic and open-minded law enforcement officer, so you don’t get to complain when it gets you attention from the higher-ups.”

“I suppose.” She didn’t sound better, but Judy did perk up a little. Her ears swiveled abruptly to the right; Nick shoved the rest of his snack in his mouth and darted in that direction, Judy just behind him.

In one of the corners of the room nearest them, a black bear had cornered the king and was shouting at him. The words were short and sharp, and wholly foreign. The king's guards hovered nearby, but every time one tried to get close, the bear roared at them.

"Excuse me? Sir?" Judy ducked through the crowd slightly faster than Nick, and was inside the circle of dogs. "Sir, I'm going to need to ask you to step away from His Majesty."

"I'm not going to listen to _meat_!" The bear reared back, raising one paw menacingly, and Nick smelled fear, rank and petrifying. Nick put on an extra burst of speed, skidding in between Judy and the bear, and gave the bear what he hoped was his most winning smile.

"Heyyyy, let's calm down for a second. You, you look upset. I get that. I'm Nick - what's your name?"

The bear showed his fangs, reflexively, Nick thought, because then he rumbled, "Tim."

"Okay, Tim. I saw you get a little worked up at my partner, so I thought we could talk for a second, pred to pred. Is that alright?"

Tim flicked his gaze back and forth, obviously still a little panicked. No one else was making a move, which was a relief. "Y - yeah."

"Now, I think you know that shouting at people in the middle of a party - or gala or whatever - isn't really appropriate."

"Shouting's the _least_ he deserves."

Nick grit his teeth; he'd hoped Tim would make this easy, but there was...zero chance he wasn't going to end up in a jail cell by the time the night was over.

"We both know this isn't going to help anybody-"

"I wouldn't expect a Zootopian to understand-"

Tim's words were cut off when a trio of the king's guard dogs slammed into him, one behind and two in front, unbalancing him and sending him to the ground. An electric buzz preceded a full-body seize, and then Tim was still.

Nick spun on his heel, mouth open to berate whatever moron had messed up his negotiation, and froze when he came eye-to-eye with Duke Anthony Thomas whatever. He hurriedly dropped his gaze; dogs had funny ideas about good manners, and glaring at them was definitely not it.

"I do thank you for your quick thinking, Mister...Wilde."

"I figured keeping angry bears from assaulting your monarch was part of my job. But I don't know if the taser was necessary."

The Duke chuckled, a hoarse, unpleasant sound. "As...noble as it is for you to defend him, your...temperament makes objectivity difficult. Mammals like him don't respond to anything but force, as I'm sure you'll discover once you get him in a cell." He grinned toothily. "Ah, and speaking of cells...Chief Bogo! I must commend your employee. And you, for providing him such a...moderating influence." The Duke nodded at Judy, who looked only puzzled. Nick kept his polite smile fixed on his face.

"It would have been a mistake to separate them, after I saw the work they did. Ah, Francine, Willy, can you escort this gentleman downtown? And is there somewhere around here I can debrief your brother?"

The Duke's smile went...gentler, technically, although it still left Nick's skin crawling. "Certainly. We set up a private room over here…"

"Officer Wilde? I'll expect a report before you go home."

"Wouldn't dream otherwise, Chief!"

The retreat of the Chief, King, Duke, and perpetrator, left Nick and, off to the side, Judy, in a wide circle of attentive mammals. Nick's tail curled around himself as he looked around. He tried a casual wave.

"Everything's fine now, folks. Go back to your...diplomating or whatever."

That seemed to be enough to send off all but the most persistent gawkers, but that was enough to settle Nick's nerves. Judy was still standing a little way off, ears down and hunched over. But when she saw Nick looking in her direction, she bounced back up and hopped to his side.

"Sorry about that; I don't know why I...froze up like that."

Nick sighed and patted Judy's shoulder. "I think every mammal's allowed to panic every now and again when a predator eight times their size threatens to eat them."

Judy shrugged off the paw. "He wasn't going to eat me. But I just - when he called me 'meat'-"

"Sheltered little rabbit, ain'tcha?"

Nick jumped, almost stumbling over Judy when he landed. Judy seemed to have frozen up, but they both recovered enough to turn to find Felix standing behind them, leaning against the wall.

"Didn't your mother teach you not to sneak up on people like that?" Judy demanded.

Felix shrugged. "Wouldn't know. Anyway, it ruins all the fun if mammals know you're comin." He gave Judy a wide-mouthed grin, every pointed tooth on display. He then flicked his gaze Nick's direction. "Don't y'agree?"

"I'm not much of a sneaker; it makes people suspicious. Always look like you've got permission, that's the way to live."

Felix snorted. "Good. Thought y'might've ditched your heritage. Gone all _civilized_."

Nick's fur bristled at that, but it was Judy that responded. She stormed right into Felix's personal space and poked his chest. "I am one hundred percent certain that if I hit you, I'd be fired faster than a cheetah hundred-yard dash. But if it got you to shut that smarmy mouth of yours, _it'd be worth it_. Come on, Nick."

She stalked off without looking behind her.

Felix winked at Nick, back to grinning. "Y'found one've the good ones, Tod." Long practice kept Nick from scowling at the casual slur. When he hadn't moved for a moment, Felix made a fluttering wave with his paws. "Go on, get goin."

Nick did so, ducking his head a little as he pursued Judy to get a little space to think. He didn't know what to think about Felix, aside from wanting to deck him about as much as Judy seemed to.

He paused after a few moments when he realized no bunny was in immediate sight. Nick sniffed at the air cautiously, but among this number of mammals, finding one person by scent was all but impossible. A flash of a long ear, however, sent him bounding off to follow. It took a minute to catch up with the elusive figure, and that was only because he was able to head her off before she hit the bathroom.

When he stepped out of the crowds, however, it wasn't Judy approaching the bathrooms, but the hare who'd been introduced as the Duke's physician. Her nose twitched and she paused, raising her head slowly to grin at Nick. Something about her smile sent a shiver along his arms.

"Nicholas Wilde!" She shifted her angle to approach Nick, grabbing him by the shoulders. She leaned in to brush a kiss against each of his cheeks before Nick could react. She was still smiling when she pulled back, and this close, Nick could see the fangs bracketing her front teeth. "Such a pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm afraid I didn't catch your name." He tried a friendly smile, struggling to avoid staring at her teeth. It wasn't unheard of to find a mammal with a few cross-species traits; rare, but not worth commenting on. But a pred-prey cross…

"The Doctor will do, or Doctor Z if you must." She toned down the smile, concealing her fangs again.

"The Doctor it is. I'm sorry I've never heard of your work."

"Ah!" She waved a paw dismissively, and there it was...claws just a little too predatory for a hare. "I toil in obscurity, while you - you are a celebrity!"

"I wouldn't say _that_."

The Doctor shrugged. "It's naming sub-species, anyway."

"I suppose. So, what do you do? General medicine?"

"Oh, no. Endocrinology. I study how chemicals affect the body...the mind." Nick glanced around for some sign of someone he could use as an excuse to get away. He did _not_ want to talk about Night Howlers right now.

"Chemistry's a little out of my habitat," he retorted, instead.

"Oh, I know. But you've _seen_ what Night Howlers do to people. Look, just answer a few questions. Did the subjects show any marked increase in strength or muscle mass? Reflexes? Any particular insensitivity to pain? Any indication their bodies were under strain?"

"I don't know. They were acting like feral animals. I could probably rip your arm off with my teeth if I _wanted_ to, but…" He shrugged, licking at his chops anxiously. "But I think I see my partner over there, so…" Nick bolted away from The Doctor, not even caring if she could see she'd freaked him out. He'd have gotten over the fangs, the claws, if she didn't have such a...clinical attitude toward real mammals who'd been through real trauma, and if she didn't seem excited about it all.

His stomach twisted, but as ill as he felt, Nick wasn't about to head back toward the bathrooms. He _needed_ to find Judy. But ten minutes later, he was convinced she'd slipped out, something so out-of-character, he needed to pause while his head spun for just a second.

This whole day had gone so surreal. Nick stopped at the outside doors, scanning for anyone likely to yell at him. When he found no one, he ducked out the door into the cool night. Judy couldn't have gone _that_ far, so it couldn't hurt to check.

And he'd gotten used to the warm sense of safety from having someone watching his back. Being on his own left him with a thread of panic in his gut, and a reminder of the years when he'd thought that feeling was normal.


	5. Chapter 5

Judy didn't look back until she was nearly back to the food table. "You're not mad, are you?" Nick wasn't behind her, and given the height of the average guest, she couldn't easily pick him out. She sighed. Criticism never went down well, but she was beginning to see a point to Chief Bogo's occasional jab at her impulsiveness.

Before she could head back into the fray to retrieve Nick, Judy's ears swiveled toward the door. One of King George's guards - the Golden Retriever - was lurking near the exit. With a quick glance around him, he slipped out.

Gritting her teeth, Judy set after him. She knew Nick would understand that she couldn't let someone looking that shifty go on without at least a little investigation.

Outside it was just past dusk, already a little brisk, but it wasn't anything Judy couldn't handle, especially if a potential wrongdoer was out here. The delay between her quarry's departure and her own gave the dog a head start; she just caught sight of him dodging around the corner of the next block over. Fighting to recall everything she'd learned in pursuit training, she sprinted after the dog, trying to keep quiet and low to the ground. She paused at the corner, peeked around it, and, certain that there was sufficient distance between him and the dog, began trailing him.

The niggling feeling that she might have been pre-judging the dog faded as she followed him. He was padding cautiously along, ears alert for the sound of pursuit, pausing frequently. It was frankly a miracle he didn't notice her in the ten minutes she spent following him. When he stopped, Judy hurriedly darted behind a trash can.

The dog knocked at a worn door, the entrance to an aged townhouse with peeling paint. It took a few moments before anyone answered. The door swung open. Judy did her best to focus, but the voice of whoever greeted the dog was too quiet to make out.

She could, however, make out the dog's response. "Come on, let me in. You know what'll happen if anyone finds out about this."

A short, barking laugh was his companion's response before the door opened further and the dog slipped inside. Judy remained where she was, unwilling to risk drawing closer even as she waited. A few minutes passed before a chorus of yips and yelps from the house confirmed that one of the king's bodyguards was meeting with a bunch of Zootopian dogs in secret.

Judy couldn't keep the grin from her face. This was going to be _big_ , and if she could break it to Chief Bogo, Nick would get his job offer from Interpol.

Judy turned and sprinted back to the convention center. She rounded the last block just as Nick stepped outside. His ears flicked up in surprise and he began ambling in her direction. Judy didn't slow, though, so she reached him in just a few moments.

"Nick! You won't believe what I found!"

"I've learned not to even try guessing, Cottontail. So spill."

"The head of the king's bodyguards - you know, that Golden Retriever - was sneaking off to meet secretly with a whole bunch of dogs. And it was not just a social call. He was worried about how much trouble he'd get in if anyone found out!"

Nick nodded through the explanation. When Judy was finished, he gave another nod. "Definitely suspicious. Not exactly probable cause, though."

"What? What do you mean?"

"He's meeting up with people in a private residence he was invited to. It might be of interest that someone might be mad if they find out, but that doesn't mean those people are the police."

Judy felt her ears droop, and some of the bounce went out of her hop. "I was just trying-"

"Hey, Carrots." Nick swooped in closer and tugged Judy's ears up. "Cheer up. I'm not saying it's nothing. Write it down, file it away, and maybe it _will_ be something worth looking into. Just don't drop more work in Bogo's lap without a lot more to it."

He let go, but Judy's ears didn't flop down. She looked up at Nick, trying to find some hint of...what, she didn't know. "You're not mad?"

Nick grinned at her, sending her stomach aflutter. "If I expected our partnership to be anything but this, Judy, I'd be a very. Dumb. Fox. You've got great instincts for policing. Our job is to turn those instincts into a real case. And that means we go back in there-" He jerked a thumb toward the convention center, "finish our shift, file all the paperwork we're supposed to, and get a good night's sleep before we worry about nefarious packs of dogs."

"Sure." It was easy to follow Nick back inside; after that inspirational chat, she'd follow him anywhere. She suspected he'd gotten that supportive streak from his mother, because he definitely hadn't gotten it from Finnick.

The rest of the evening was, thankfully, uneventful. The King had reappeared while they were outside, and everyone else seemed settled. Felix didn't accost them again; Judy caught sight of him trailing the King a few times, practically shadowing him. Nick seemed jumpy, ears twitching more than they did during normal on-duty hours and gaze flicking around slightly more than Judy was used to. Judy felt a twinge of guilt. Something had happened to Nick while she'd been gone, and given the sort of language the Europans had been throwing around, it wasn't good.

But this was neither the time nor place, so she waited until they returned to the precinct, where Nick insisted they type up all their reports before going to bed, to address it.

"What happened after I left?"

Nick's typing skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"

Judy sighed, a little. At least he hadn't denied it. "You were jumpy after we got back inside. What happened?"

Nick's ears flicked back, flattening against his skull. "It's stupid. That hare - the physician - cornered me. And she was asking all these stupid questions about what mammals on Night Howlers look like, act like…"

"Oh, Nick." She brushed a paw against his, but Nick kept staring at the computer. "If you want, I can threaten her, too."

He laughed, but the sound was sharp and pained. "It's not that. I'm sitting here freaking out - she's part pred. With her creepy - her fangs, and claws. And like I said - it's _stupid_ \- I'm supposed to be better than that. She's _me_ \- pretending to be what people expect so she doesn't have to fight proving them wrong. And I react exactly the way she expected." He dropped his head down onto the keyboard, printing a string of 'gggggggggg' across the screen.

Judy rubbed a paw along Nick's shoulders, ruminating. "I can't say you're _not_ reacting from a place of...prejudice. But she was talking about something really upsetting; you're entitled to get freaked out just about that."

"I know," Nick muttered into the keyboard. "I hate this. It was easier when I didn't _think_ so much about other mammals' feelings."

"But this way's better...right?"

"Wouldn't have you if I hadn't, so...yeah."

Judy couldn't help the subsequent hug; Nick turned just enough to return it, because he was a sweetheart no matter what he liked to let others think.

"Um, am I interrupting anything?"

Nick yelped and tensed, and Judy just had to laugh, cuddled up against Nick's chest while he glared at Officer Clawhauser.

"Why do you do this, Ben? You know it takes years off of my life."

"Sorry, Nick. I don't know any other way to be."

Nick sighed and pushed Judy back to a respectable distance. "You're not interrupting anything, Ben. Just partnerly hugging. Now, what can I do for my favorite cheetah?"

Ben flushed a little, grinning at them, so obviously pleased that Judy didn't mention that Clawhauser was the only cheetah Nick knew. But then he shivered and stood up ramrod-straight.

"Oh! I got a call from the Ocelot Hotel, and since it's a few blocks away-"

Nick was off the chair and at Ben's side in an instant. "What sort of call?"

"Um…" Ben glanced at the paper in his paws. "A noise complaint? They thought it was some kind of horror movie at first - there were some growls, howling-"

Nick grabbed the paper and bolted. "Get that tail in gear, Hopps!"

She hopped to the floor and darted after him, because noise complaint at the King of Europa's hotel the same night he'd been threatened by a bear _could_ be nothing.

But nine months on the force (and three with Nick) had taught Judy that the most likely outcome was the one that would generate the most paperwork. Because they were _cursed_.

Judy took the trip at sloth-like speeds, but parked very carefully when they arrived at the hotel. As they exited the car, she noted distant sirens; Officer Clawhauser had rightfully called in all available officers. But Judy had not gotten to where she was now by waiting for backup.

Thankfully, Nick had taken to Judy's philosophy in the academy, so he kept up, and was therefore there to look official when she scrambled up the front desk.

"ZPD! Where's the trouble?"

The armadillo at the desk looked down at Judy, gaze flicking briefly to Nick. "Ah. Eighteenth floor. Are you sure-"

"Thank you sir! Someone will be by to take your statement!"

Nick had already made it to the elevator, so when Judy arrived, the door was already opening. He gave her a boost so she could hit the 18th floor button, and then they were on their way.

"Eighteenth floor. That's where the king is, right?" Judy nodded; outside, a new tenor of sirens joined the chorus. They'd called the ambulances.

The elevator jolted to a halt and the door began sliding open. A growl wound its way through the opening door.

"ZPD!" Nick shouted. "Don't shoot!" No one shot at them, but as it turned out, no one was in the corridor. "Come on," Nick commanded, and Judy hurried toward the king's suite, drawing her gun as she did. The door to Captain Scrofass' room was hanging open, so Judy slowed.

"Captain? It's Officer Judy Hopps."

"All clear!" The shout came further down, from the king's room, and Judy's stomach sank. Nick took the lead again, but stopped when he came in view of the royal suite.

Judy had to do the same when she did, as well. The room was _wrecked_ , deep furrows in every surface, furniture ripped to shreds, still-wet blood smeared and splattered around the room, and in the middle of it…

The king's body looked tiny, crumpled on the rug. Constable Mellivora, kneeling by his side, was holding a paw down on his chest. Captain Scrofass stood behind him, standing with her back to the blank wall, keeping her eyes on the window, door to the king's chambers, and entryway all at once.

"He's still alive," she said. "But I hope at least one of those sirens is an ambulance, or you're going to have a murder on your hands."


	6. Chapter 6

"Where's the Doctor's room?" 

Captain Scrofass gave Nick a startled look before nodding. "Two doors down on the right. But if this didn't wake her up, I wouldn't bet on you being able to do it."

Nick might have responded with a witty comment, but he mostly just bolted, because the metallic scent of freshly-spilled blood turned his stomach and he needed to get as far away as possible. He stumbled out of the room, flashes of _the interior of a limo ripped to pieces, a desperate flight through the rainforest district, a grim smile on the wrong end of a gun_ flitting through his mind. A quiet 'click' somehow dispelled the oppressive flow of memories. He twisted his head around just in time to see the door on the other side of the royal suite closing, a figure in a faded coat disappearing inside. Nick's nose twitched. The vulpine scent was familiar, but over it was...a sickly-sweet scent, something Nick couldn't place.

The weird scent, though, was less of a concern than the fact that _Felix_ was sneaking into hotel rooms after the King was attacked.

Taking his own advice, Nick set that concern aside for later, and found the Doctor's room. He banged at it as hard as he could manage. "Doctor? Get up!"

The door swung open after only a short moment. A sharp smell akin to bleach assaulted Nick's nose; the Doctor, peering at Nick through clear goggles and a stiff cloth mask, seemed unaffected.

"How is His Majesty?"

"He's bleeding; an ambulance is on the way, but-"

"Just give me a moment." The door closed firmly, leaving Nick anxiously shifting outside her room. It seemed like the Doctor took an extraordinary amount of time, but it was likely no more than a minute. The hare reappeared, a canvas bag slung over her shoulders. "Come on, let's see what I can do."

Captain Scrofass scowled when she saw the Doctor. "I was wondering if you'd gotten yourself murdered."

"Hm. You know me; sometimes I get so absorbed in my work I lose track of everything else. Good keeping pressure on that, Trudy. If you can pull out the gauze from that pocket…"

Nick hovered near the door, just far enough that the scent of blood wasn't overwhelming him, but close because he didn't dare leave the victim and his partner in a potential danger zone. He poked his head around because Judy wasn't immediately visible, and found her examining a particularly deep gouge in a coffee table. She reached out with a foot to shift a broken vase settled among small red flower petals.

"Stop that," Nick hissed. "Forensics will be here any second-"

She stepped away from the table, flushing deeply enough to see through her fur. After a moment, she scurried to Nick's side to watch the hurried first aid.

"Did you see any sign of the perps?"

Nick shook his head, then paused. "Maybe. We'll talk later." He didn't want to risk distracting anyone by suggesting the king's cultural attache was responsible for the attack. His nose twitched at the combined scents of blood and disinfectant. "You think we can get some distance?"

"Probably; I don't think anyone else is getting near this place until the ambulance arrives. Why?"

Nick gestured at a blood-splattered easy chair, and Judy's eyes widened. "Oh. Right, let's keep watch outside."

Nick wondered, as Judy ambled back to the elevator as cover for getting Nick away from all the blood, how he'd ever gotten along without someone who understood him the way Judy did. Aside from the shock when he'd explained ("I don't even eat meat." "A vegetarian predator?" " _Omnivore_ , Carrots."), she'd been so understanding about his issues with blood, not making even one joke about it.

"You saw something," Judy accused once they'd taken up their position.

"And like I said, I'll tell you later." Nick jerked his head toward the royal suite and tugged at one of his ears. "Anyway, we're about to be very busy in three...two...one…"

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. A pair of goats in white rushed a stretcher past them, and Chief Bogo stepped out after. He nodded at Nick and Judy.

"Clawhauser said you were first on the scene. What's going on?"

"Sir! King George was attacked - looks like a large-scale predator. There's no immediate sign of a perpetrator, and we were waiting for forensics before examining the scene more closely."

Chief Bogo's gaze shifted to Nick. "Good job. I need you two running door to door getting statements, _especially_ from anyone else who was on this floor."

Judy flicked her ears up, clearly fighting her natural reaction to let them droop. "Are you sure? We could help CSI-"

"I need you two taking statements," Bogo repeated, a low rumble echoing in his voice. "If you do a good job, I'll let you take a look at CSI's work once they're done. Now _go_."

The paramedics returned, Captain Scrofass, the Doctor, and Constable Mellivora flanking the stretcher. Chief Bogo tugged Scrofass aside, but not before shooting Nick a pointed look.

"Come on, Carrots." He tugged Judy by the arm toward the far end of the corridor. She felt tense under his grip, but he wasn't about to have it out right next to the Chief. He knocked at the nearest door, unsurprised when no one answered. He didn't think there were enough Europans here to take up the whole floor, but it would be very sensible to keep the other rooms empty.

He shrugged at Judy, who'd folded her arms, scowling mutinously. "Next one, I guess."

"Ugh, are you really okay with this?" Judy demanded. "Running around while you've got a _lead_?"

Nick guided Judy by the elbow to the next door, which proved to be to another empty room. "I've got a - not even a hunch, Judy - a notion. Besides, I know Chief Bogo'd rather die than admit it, but he gave us this job because he knows we'll do a good job. You're a personable mammal, Hopps, and me, I'm a natural at chatting people up." A quick glance showed Chief Bogo had taken guard at the royal suite. Nick bypassed the Doctor's room and headed to the one next to the royal suite, where he'd seen Felix. He rapped at the door. "ZPD. Can we talk to you for a minute?" When there was no response, he knocked again. "Hello?"

"Come on; there's no one there."

Nick turned, but offered a final glance to the door. Obviously, knowing Felix was there, his failure to answer the door was suspicious. But aside from being annoying, there was little to suspect there.

As much as Nick believed Bogo had assigned them the task because he honestly thought they'd do a good job, the next four hours were unbearable. It wasn't the mammals; between Nick and Judy, they successfully wrangled everyone they talked to. But it was incredibly boring, because no one more than one floor away from the royal suite had seen anything, and those that _had_ heard something had just heard the howls that had first alerted the ZPD to the attack.

And that wasn't even considering the elderly bat on the third floor who'd spent twenty minutes complaining about "cubs these days, with their rap boxing and beat dancing at all hours of the night while decent mammals are trying to get things done."

Nick had seen Judy on the traffic beat, sprinting between cars for _hours_ without pause, but watching her dutifully taking notes from hundreds of potential witnesses without ever showing even a hint of boredom gave him new respect for her (he suspected the fact that none of the guests were sloths was enough to keep her from losing energy).

It was nearing dawn when they finished; Nick's legs moved like stumps, and his eyelids kept falling shut. Even Judy was slogging, a state he'd seen her in only rarely, and usually from a place of relative restfulness so he could enjoy it.

"Wait." He stuck his paw in Judy's way before she could stumble to the driver's side of their car. "Driving."

"Yeah, we gotta get...place. With the donut-cheetah." Judy waved vaguely in the direction of the precinct.

"Right. But you can't _drive_."

"Course," Judy retorted, fumbling at her pockets. "I gotta _license_." She provided her driver's license, although it was facing toward her.

"But you're _tired_. Like drunk, but...tireder."

"Oh!" Judy's ears only went half-mast. "Yeah. Should I call a cab? Taxi!"

Nick grabbed at Judy's arm, tugging it down. "It's just a couple blocks. Let's walk. It's a beautiful morning." He waved his arm vaguely at the world, coming to rest pointing at a dumpster at the side of the hotel. "We could breakfast at Chez Garbage if you liked, beneath the scenic fire escape."

Judy giggled, but stopped abruptly, and began pawing at Nick's arm.

He grabbed at Judy's paws and tugged her around, hoping she'd calm down. But she wasn't calm, instead bouncing in place, eyes wide and a grin nearly splitting her face.

"Nick. Nick! The fire escape!"

"Judy, I love you, but I was joking about the dumpster diving."

"No, the _fire escape_. Come on!" Nick could only stumble after Judy as she bounced to the dumpster. He stood in place, trying to keep his eyes open as Judy darted back and forth across the alley. He knew he should be more supportive, but he was _exhausted_ and _starving_ and had no idea what Judy was looking for. A strangely familiar scent, sickly-sweet, twisted into his nose. Nick's eyes snapped open, mind shifting from half-dead to _racing_ in an instant. He sniffed, trying to locate the source of the scent; when Judy saw him, she bounded to his side.

"Did you find something?"

"Felix was here. I saw him slinking back into the room next to the royal suite when we got there, and I smelled that same - that weird sweet smell we've got here-" The smell of blood sent Nick's head spinning. "And someone was bleeding down here."

"Yes!" Judy pumped her fist, hopping in place. "I _knew_ it. Ms. Audino was complaining about noise, and that-" She pointed two floors up, "is her room. And that…" She followed the line up with her finger, grinning when it stopped, "is the royal suite. The fire escape runs right by it. Ha! Let's get back to the precinct and rub this in Chief Bogo's nose!"

She had the cruiser's door open before Nick caught up with her and grabbed her paw.

She gave him a pained, wide-eyed look, but Nick just pried the keys out of her paw.

"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I let you drive in this condition, Cottontail. Come on; the fresh air'll be good for us."


	7. Chapter 7

Judy's revelation didn't result in an excited conference back at the precinct. Or, rather, Ben was overseeing the compilation and sorting of the evidence coming in, and just insisted Judy and Nick type up their findings and let him deal with it.

Nick looked worse than Judy, tending to slump into the nearest reasonably stable object when she wasn't trying to keep him awake, so when they were done, she dragged him back to her place rather than risk him getting lost trying to get home by himself.

She shoved him onto her bed and followed a moment later, too exhausted to bother with their gear. She awoke, as was common when they ended up sharing a bed, surrounded in the warmth of a fox curled protectively around her, his head resting on her chest, which he had admitted, once, allowed him to hear Judy's heartbeat. Her clock said it was noon, which meant no matter how sweet he was, Nick needed to get up.

She tugged at his ear, which they'd managed to establish was the safest way to get him up; Nick was surprisingly ticklish and flailed in a wide radius when startled.

"Wassit?" He cracked his eyes open, though when he saw Judy, he opened them a little wider, smiling. "Morning, Carrots."

"Good morning."

Nick yawned, jaw wide in a way that would be more frightening if Nick hadn't bitten anyone since he stopped teething. "So, what's up?"

"We need to get back to work, but somebody's using me as a pillow."

"Technically, more like a teddy bear," Nick replied. When Judy glared at him, he scrambled up and off the bed, though he was still grinning. "You want the shower first?"

"I want coffee, and a fresh uniform, and this apartment contains neither."

Nick shrugged and stretched. "Alright. Let's get hopping."

Judy shoved Nick's shoulder as they left; he was surprisingly careful with his words, which meant he didn't accidentally make puns. "Dumb fox."

Nick just laughed.

Half an hour later, showered and changed, Judy scrambled through the scrum in the break room to grab two cups of coffee. Nick would be another twenty minutes at least; the water in his apartment rarely topped lukewarm, and he took every opportunity to enjoy a hot-water shower. Slipping back out from the crowd, Judy bumped into Clawhauser.

"Whoo! Sorry, Judy." He yawned, loosing one paw from a cup of coffee nearly as tall as Judy to cover his mouth. "Been up all night...sorting." His eyes were red-rimmed and slightly unfocused; but his customary smile was still in place. "How're you? And where's Nick?"

"He's showering." She downed her coffee, something she had to do quickly before the taste hit her. Bitter, burnt, and tasting vaguely of almonds, the ZPD coffee could carry an officer through the graveyard shift. Chief Bogo _savored_ it. Clawhauser, from the smell of it, had dumped enough sugar into his to qualify as syrup. "I don't know how you're still awake, Ben."

Clawhauser shook his cup of coffee. "Been downing this since the call first came in." His hand was still shaking; Judy wondered if it would be worth a cheetah bite trying to get the coffee away from him.

"And what's the news?"

"Well, Chief Bogo's leading the watch at the hospital. The king's...well, stable. We're meeting at 1800 to discuss preliminary findings and assignments. But it's best to stay out of the way until then. Pick up an old case, help some old ladies across the street." He winked at her.

"Oh. Alright. Thanks!" Judy crumpled and tossed her empty cup away and jogged out of the break room toward the males' locker room. She hopped in place for a few minutes until the door swung open.

Nick sauntered out, brushed and dressed, looking very much ready to take on the world. He raised an eyebrow at Judy and pointed at the coffee.

"Is that mine?"

"Of course." Judy handed over the cup. Nick tugged it close, held it close to his nose, and inhaled. His eyes fluttered closed and a gentle smile crossed his mouth; Judy felt a twitch of a gag in her throat, but fought it down.

"That...is some good stuff," he breathed. "Down the hatch!" He, too, downed the coffee in as close to one shot as he could manage, which seemed pointless after he'd assaulted his nose with it. "Now, what's up?"

"Officer Clawhauser told us to keep out from underfoot until later tonight when Chief Bogo's scheduled a briefing. We don't have any cases we can follow up on, do we?"

"N - wait." Nick grabbed Judy's arm to follow as he jogged out to the cruiser. "Ben gave me a file yesterday morning; I mostly forgot about it, but it should still be in - ah!" He waved a folder out from the cruiser. He popped back after it and handed the folder to Judy. "Nice, easy work."

"Don't even say that. Every time you say that, it turns into a monster case." Judy flipped open the file. "Hm. Wilma Onyx. Where have I heard that name before?" She scanned the paper for details. Dr. Onyx worked at Zootopia University in the Molecular Biology department, and had reported a theft-

"Oh, _damn_."

"What?" Nick had been content to lean against the cruiser, but at Judy's exclamation, darted over to look over her shoulder. "What's the problem?"

"Doctor Onyx synthesized the Night Howlers antidote. And I don't trust our luck for this not to have anything to do with them. Come on."

A minute out of the station, Nick put a paw over Judy's arm; at the light touch, she looked over to see him watching her, not quite smiling, but very...present.

"Hey, slow down." Judy reflexively lifted her foot, and the car slowed jerkily before she pushed back down, bringing them to a reasonable speed. "You all right, Carrots?"

Judy exhaled, surprised to find her breath shaky. "Probably. I just...thinking about that whole mess is a little stressful, you know?"

"Yeah, probably the only mammal in the world who does." Nick squeezed Judy's arm before withdrawing his paw.

"I just don't like thinking about what could have happened to me - to _you_ , and to - to Zootopia. The thought of you d - dying with everyone remembering you as f - feral and a - a traitor, just…" As her breath hitched and moisture dripped down her muzzle, Judy pulled the cruiser over so she could have a breakdown without causing an accident. And then she was crying, sobs shaking her body and tears soaking her fur. She was vaguely aware of tension, release, and then a warm enveloping pressure, but didn't bother with it. There was nothing - no sound, scent, or feeling that suggested she was anything but safe.

What finally steadied her breathing and gave her the respite for the tears to end was a rhythmic rumbling against her cheek. As she came back to herself, she realized Nick was singing. Judy had only ever heard him sing in stolen moments, and she was certain Nick didn't know she'd _ever_ heard him sing. His voice was strong and steady, rising a little higher than many males'.

"She'd left me for another, it's a common tale but true; a sadder man but wiser now I sing these words to you."

Judy's paws clenched in Nick's fur. "I wouldn't."

Nick's voice cut off, and the warmth of his chest moved away. "Are you done being emotional, or do I have to dig deeper into my mother's lullaby repertoire?"

Judy pulled back. Nick looked...loose. At ease. His eyes were wide-open, clear and watchful. His arms were still wound around her. It was protective. Proprietary.

She shook her head, unable to keep a smile from her mouth. "I'm good. Your mother's taste in music is depressing, Nick."

He shrugged. "Always thought of it as a normal lullaby. But we good?"

"Yeah." Judy pushed Nick back to his seat, paused, surprised to find her seat belt unlatched. She fixed that and rested her paws back on the wheel - ten and two. Before she started up again, she twisted back to meet Nick with a steady gaze. "And Nick? I'd never - you're stuck with me."

She wiped at her eyes again and got back on route to the university, driving at a careful, reasonable pace now that she was no longer about to cry.

Zootopia University was a sprawling campus that straddled Haymarket Station in the Meadowlands. The buildings ranged from ultra-modern tiered structures to centuries-old behemoths that pre-dated Zootopia itself. Covered paths wound through miniature versions of the city's habitats, housing students of every species studying, playing, or just relaxing.

The Biology department was housed in a bulbous building that shone like the sun, metal and glass gleaming in the mid-day light.

"Well. Nice to see the Revenue Office is using my tax dollars well."

Judy, about to step into the building, looked back at Nick, who was standing at ease, staring up at the department building. "You never been?"

Nick shrugged. "Took night classes downtown. Never had the time to go here. You?"

"My first day at work was the only time I'd been more than thirty miles from home."

"Well, madam." Nick stepped up and held out an elbow. "Let's take a look around."

Chuckling, Judy took his arm and stepped into the ZU Biology building. Inside it was...clean. The rooms curved with the walls, the windows filtering out the harshest tones of the daylight. Nick gravitated to the rightmost wall, which was inscribed with a long list of names.

"Let's see...Onyx! Three-oh-five, Carrots. Let's be off."

The offices on the third floor were uniformly large, big enough to accommodate elephants (the result of the Mammalian Access Act), but 305 was near the elevator so it didn't take long to reach. Judy rapped on the door earnestly.

"Come in!"

Dr. Onyx's office was a mess. Books lay in piles scattered across the stained rug. Piles of dirt, some still containing wilted plants, dominated much of the rest of the free space. A battered desk sat next to the window; a gold-coated dog was sniffing at the stalk of a potted plant, taking notes as she did so.

"Dr. Onyx? I'm Judy Hopps, and this is Nick Wilde - ZPD."

The dog's ears perked up, and, as if they were wires attached to her skull, her head followed. Her open-mouthed smile was careless, sincere, as she hopped from her chair and bounded around the obstacles to reach them.

"Hi! Wilma Onyx! But then you know that, because I asked you to come. Your colleague said you'd be along eventually, but I thought maybe he thought he'd gotten enough from me already."

"No, Officer Clawhauser was just taking a preliminary statement." Judy reached out to shake Dr. Onyx's paw. "There wasn't a lot of detail, though."

"Oh." Dr. Onyx crouched a little, tail curling around her. "Yes, well. Your colleague - Clawhauser, was it? - agreed I didn't need to share anything that would worry anyone."

Next to Judy, Nick groaned.

"What exactly is the...problem?"

"Come on, I'll take you down to the security office." Dr. Onyx pushed the door open and strode out. "Come on, come on."

Once Nick and Judy were out of the office, Dr. Onyx was off toward the elevators. 

Nick rolled his eyes. "Dogs."

"Be nice," Judy hissed, elbowing his stomach. She hurried to catch up, slowing as they reached Dr. Onyx. "So...the security office?"

"We've got some video, of course; the lab was supposed to be well-secured. But...well, grad students."

"Lab?"

"Well, yes. I don't know if you're aware; I did some work with the ZPD a while ago when the Night Howlers were making so much trouble. It was actually an offshoot of some of my studies of the badger Berserkers warriors - very medieval. I theorized some of their dyes naturally contained chemicals that - well, anyway." Dr. Onyx punched the button for the sixth floor and began hopping in place. "The antidote I developed was based on recipes I found in the anthropology department. It required some finagling, possibly due to variations in the modern _mendicampum holicifius_ from pre-modern blooms. I've been studying it and the, ah, Night Howlers, but two nights ago, my samples were stolen."

"Your samples of Night Howlers?"

Dr. Onyx snorted. "Of course not. Someone stole my samples of the antidote." The elevator stopped and she stalked out of it, growling.

"Does that keep you from making more?" Nick asked.

"No."

"Is the compound valuable? Could you break it down or sell it?"

"Also no."

"Then - hey, stop for a second." Dr. Onyx paused. "What does a thief get out of having samples of the antidote?"

"Nothing I can think of, except the ability to revert a mammal suffering from mendicampial psychosis to a normal functioning state. Which I don't understand - I'm on retainer to the police and hospitals to produce samples as needed."

A sudden notion sent Judy's stomach twisting in a way that felt like a sharp fall. "Ooh." Nick glanced at Judy, eyes narrowing.

"Judy?"

"It's just a notion. Come on, let's see your security camera."

The security office was cramped, full of television screens watched by a wide-eyed raccoon.

"Maury? These officers need to see the footage from-"

"On it." Maury tugged a keyboard toward him, and with a few moments of rapid-fire typing, replaced a bank of screens with a single cohesive image - a clean lab full of familiar-looking distillation equipment, scales, and lines of innocuous flowers in pots. A figure ambled into view, stopping at the flowers. It leaned in before shaking its head and moving on, checking stacks of glassware, a cabinet near the back of the room, and then the bench.

When the figure moved to the front of the room, its face was briefly visible.

"Pause it." Judy stepped closer to the screen, peering at the image just to make sure. Behind her, Nick started growling. "Oh, _damn_ ," she muttered.

"Gonna agree with you there, Carrots. That's Doug."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The snippet you see Nick's singing is from "Lemon Tree", written by Will Holt (though I grew up on the Peter, Paul, and Mary rendition).


	8. Chapter 8

The Zootopia Central Jail was depressing. Nick had heard it was a repurposed office building, but he couldn't imagine anyone thinking it was a good idea to have people _work_ there. A perfect cube, the building's interior was made up of row after row of identical square rooms. The walls were dull yellow, the lights flickering fluorescent, and the air stale.

But Judy had to follow up on her notion, and given that Bellwether's old pal had stolen a stock of Night Howler antidote, it was a good notion.

The interview room was larger than the cells, a wide space big enough to hold a large table. Two guards - rhinos - led Bellwether into the room, setting her down on the other side of the table.

"Do we leave the cuffs on?" one guard asked.

"She bites," the other offered.

"Only when I'm provoked," Bellwether retorted.

"And you don't keep her muzzled?" Nick asked. "I think that's what you're supposed to do with wild animals who can't control themselves."

"You're one to talk," Bellwether snapped, glaring at him through slits of her eyes, before sliding her gaze to Judy. She smiled gently. "It's cute how you think this one isn't going to turn on you one day. Leodore and I were friends once, too." She bared her teeth suddenly, and Nick wasn't certain why he expected to see fangs.

"Take the cuffs off," Judy said evenly. Her expression hadn't shifted from the cool, detached one she wore when dealing with particularly intransigent members of the public, not even a twitch in her ears. "We can handle her."

"Alright." The guards removed Bellwether's cuffs and left the room. Judy waited until the clank of the lock indicated they were sealed in before turning to Bellwether.

She set a tape recorder on the table. "I'm going to record this. Your rights do still apply - we can delay this for you to bring in your lawyer, and of course you don't have to answer any question, as this recording may be used in any further investigation or prosecution. Do you understand?"

" _Yes_ ," Bellwether grumbled. Judy hit the record button. "What's this about, anyway? I'm already spending the rest of my natural life in here, for, what did you call it? 'Attempted murder with a mammalian instrument'? Bah!"

"We ran into your friend Doug," Judy said.

"Friend? He turned on me like a mad _fox_ when you arrested him."

Nick grinned, ignoring Bellwether's taunts. It was right - Doug had turned over voice mails, bank transfer information, more than enough to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bellwether had engineered the whole mess. It had been a wonderful moment, seeing Bellwether's face when Doug had taken the stand at trial.

"Are you saying you didn't ask him to poke around ZU's biology labs?"

" _No_. I wouldn't trust that sheep with - wait. Biology labs?" Bellwether sat up straight, her eyes suddenly gleaming with interest. "What are you after? What do you think I did?" And then suddenly she grinned. "That attack on King George - the news said his suite was torn up - like a _wild animal_ did it. Oh, that's cute, Judy. Dumb, but cute." She folded her arms and fell back against her chair. "I wouldn't do anything to the Europans; they knew how to run things _properly_ , putting _civilized_ mammals in charge. Keeping their predators in their place."

Judy raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Bellwether laughed. "Oh, I should have known neither of you studied history. Go open a book, learn something about that king you're running around protecting." She glanced at Nick, her smile sharp-edged and mean. "It'll be _fascinating_. Now, I'm done."

Judy was clearly jumping to ask more questions, but Bellwether was settled back against her chair, face crumpled and set obstinately. Pushing wasn't going to get them anywhere.

"Well, I'm certain you have very important meetings to attend to." Nick patted his lap once and then stood. "Judy? Let's go." He waved at the mirrored window behind them to signal for them to unlock the door.

"What?" Judy's head jerked around, face still a little scrunched in concentration. It smoothed out quickly, and she hopped down to follow Nick. No delay, no questioning, and it had taken years before things were this easy with Finnick, where they'd trusted each other enough to obey when they had to.

"Be careful, Judy. If you let him, you'll be running around getting his coffee while he gets all the glory."

Judy paused; Nick glanced back at her, just in time to see her relax, ears and stance going loose before she continued walking. "That's your problem, Bellwether. You think it's a zero-sum game - one mammal wins, another loses. One day I hope you learn we can all win."

"I wish I could see your face the day you learn you're wrong."

Grinning, Judy shook her head. "You're gonna be waiting a while for that, Bellwether. I'm a 'tryer'. Lucky you've got a lot of time on your hands."

She pushed the door open ahead of Nick, stepping aside to give him time to exit. Nick followed, a flush of warmth in his chest. His bunny was learning to defend herself emotionally, to deflect the little jabs and pokes so they didn't wear her down. It made the two of them stronger, but he didn't quite know what to do with that warmth of...pride, he supposed.

He did, however, know what they had to do next.

"You know where to find a good library, Carrots?"

If they'd been near downtown, he'd have directed Judy to the library nearest to his old house, but given that they were in Meadowlands, they went to Nick's current branch. Just over the Rainforest District border, it was a little worn, not well-stocked, but it was dry and warm, two things that were in short supply in Nick's apartment. Judy was trailing Nick by a few steps when he walked in, scanning the worn shelves and scattered mammals browsing, reading, or working quietly.

Xue, the elderly panda librarian, waved at Nick; his granddaughter Zhihao was helping another patron check out. Nick waved back and sauntered over.

"Hello, Xue, how's the book-wrangling business?"

"Good." Xue's dark eyes swept over Judy. "And you'd be Miss Hopps. There are a lot of little critters who want to be just like you, Judy."

"I…" Judy's whole body, from tip to tail, stiffened, her nose quivering.

"Leave her alone, Xue, she's easily flustered."

The elderly panda nodded, smiling gently. "Of course. Now, what brings Zootopia's finest to our little library?"

"We're reading up on history. Europan, specifically."

"Oh." Xue's pupils contracted, and he glanced briefly at Judy. "Together, I see. That's always best. Come on, I'll find you a good overview."

Xue lifted the small bar dividing him from the rest of the library and waddled out. He guided Nick down to the nonfiction section, pointing at the sign declaring that 900 meant history in the Mooey Decimal System. He paused at the shelf, roving up and down the books until his paw stopped at a tall, slender book.

"Here." He handed the dark blue book to Nick. "Do you want to take it at the front desk?"

"I think we'll just drop it off on our way out."

"Good." Xue stepped back, but paused, paw on the edge of the shelf. He looked down at Judy, reaching out briefly before letting his paw fall back. "Ah - come by to see me if you need anything."

Nick tossed the book at Judy; she scrambled to catch it, and was frowning as she looked after Xue. "You ready to hit the books, Hopps?"

"Sure. Should have figured you made friends at your local library."

"Didn't exactly want to spend a lot of money at a bookstore, Carrots. Now come on."

They found a table in a back corner of the library, a low, blocky table of wood polished from years of use. The chairs were still large enough that Nick and Judy could comfortably share, the book set between them.

"Any idea what we're looking for?" Judy asked.

"Nah." Nick ran his finger down the chapter of contents, finding nothing that leapt out at him. "Let's just scan."

_The history of Europa was more fraught than those of other nations. Alliances between prey and vegetarian-inclined omnivorous species created evolutionary strength to bolster prey species' conflicts with predators. Badger clans formed the most consistent and, often, strongest support. Legends of the badger Berserkers that could stand even against bears could often keep entire towns sheltered from predation…_

_The escalation of conflicts outside of those necessitated by predation needs put a strain on the populations of the city-states of Europa. Schisms among prey city-states emerged based on attitudes toward predators. The Abbyians advocated only defending against aggressive moves by predators and predatory states. The Guardians advocated a more proactive approach that ranged from deterrent violence to eradication of all predators…_

_This culminated in the Blood Blossom War. Led by the Guardians, prey states in Europa executed a brutal war against predator states. Prey fatalities were substantially lower than in previous conflicts. Following the Slaughter of Mices, the Corgi Clan sued for peace. Abbyian influences forced the prey alliances to accept, and from this meeting was born the Europan Compact. It outlawed predation, but also enshrined a place for predators in Europa. The kings of Europa and noble houses were drawn from the leaders of the predator states, and tasked with enforcing the laws of the Compact, in particular the rules against predation…_

_As late as the 1970s, the so-called 'civilized' predators - most often dogs - encouraged or led acts of violence against predators stereotyped as feral. These purges, and especially the acts of bear-baiting and fox hunts, were legal under the Europan Compact as part of the nobility's responsibility to-_

Maybe if there hadn't been pictures, Nick might have managed. But the image of a group of dogs - _foxhounds_ \- standing around a fox, caged and muzzled-

_-Scrambling up stairs in near-darkness, he tried to suck in a deep breath, but his mouth was caged in metal. Someone was laughing behind him, mocking or angry he didn't know, only the panicked desire to get away-_

"Nick?"

Nick could smell rabbit, somewhere above him. He took a deep breath; when his jaw opened without restraint, his heart began to slow a little. There was bright light all around him, and the smell of _rabbit_.

"Judy?"

Judy dropped down from somewhere down to Nick's level. She had one paw out, watching him with wide, wary eyes, violet gleaming in the dim pocket of space Nick had fled to. "Nick, can I come-"

He lunged at Judy, grabbed her, and held her to him as tightly as he could. With her head at about chin level, it was easy for Nick to press his face against it, letting his tears fall against her fur. He felt pressure around his middle, glanced down and saw Judy clinging to him just as tightly. And she was talking.

"Never. I would never let them - I would fight them. I would fight _anyone_ , Nick, any Pembroke or Corgi or whatever, and no one would _dare_..."

He tensed, and Judy stopped talking with a snap of her jaw, at the approach of heavy footsteps. A wide, round face, black and white and smiling, appeared from above. Nick looked around for the first time, seeing heavy wooden posts and a wide roof, several wooden arches, and realized with a flush of heat down his neck that they were still in the library and that he'd taken refuge under the table.

"Would you like to hide out in my office for a few minutes? You're making a bit of a scene, and I'd rather not ask you to leave."

"S - sure." And if Nick hadn't agreed, he suspected Judy would have fought Xue and anyone they called to drag him out of there.

Settled in Xue's office, Nick huddled on the panda's huge soft chair and Judy next to him with an arm around his shoulders, Nick took a few more deep breaths, finding his heart slowing, the jangling of his nerves retreating. Judy didn't say a word the whole time.

Nick took a final deep breath; when it came clear and his body didn't shake, he straightened and patted Judy's head gently. "I think I get why that bear was so upset."

Judy laughed, but her voice was shaky. "Nick…"

"I'm fine, Carrots." He tried to push her away, but Judy tugged his head around and held his gaze, frowning, but only just. "Judy?"

"I know you have to shake it off out there, but please don't pretend with me."

Nick ran a finger along his jaw, glad to have a reminder there was no muzzle there. "I'm...okay. It's not fine, but there's nothing I can do about...that. So I'll put on a brave face and when this is all over we can have a cheery movie night. Okay?"

"So come on." Nick hopped down to the floor and held out a paw to help Judy down. "Time to do our actual job. I doubt Bellwether hired Doug, so I think our best bet is to see if we can shake him down somewhere. If we can't find any leads, we'll head back for the briefing and see if anyone'll listen to your notions."


	9. Chapter 9

Judy steadied her paws and took another picture of the scene. She winced at the sound of Nick retching outside. She scanned the room again before deciding she'd gotten enough pictures until CSI showed up, and then slipped outside to join Nick.

He hadn't actually vomited, but he looked miserable, droopy and pale.

"You're not done in there, are you?"

Judy shrugged. "You're stuck out here-"

"Nope." Nick put his paw over Judy's mouth. "I'll meet up with CSI out here. You go back in there and investigate. I won't hear a word otherwise. Okay?"

Judy nodded, and Nick removed his paw. "You're sure you'll be fine?"

"Sitting out here in a crime-ridden neighborhood? Please."

"Okay." Judy climbed back up the stoop to the apartment whose existence they'd squeezed out of Duke Weaselton, moving slower as she approached the door. She paused at the door itself, paw hovering at the knob. Then she took a deep breath and entered the building in one fluid motion.

In some ways, the room within, the entry hall to a larger apartment, resembled the royal suite in the aftermath of the attack on King George. Deep gouges marred the wood floors and plaster walls, blood stained every level surface, and a body lay in a gruesome display at the center.

Of course, the room had already been in poor repair, was smaller, and had fewer surfaces that displayed blood easily.

But there were bigger differences.

For one, this victim had not survived the attack. A pistol rested haphazardly several feet away from the body, a sign that he'd made some effort to defend himself.

The state of the body was another difference. The wounds were savage, flesh and organs torn alike, as if his attacker had been chewing on him. His arm was held on by only a thread of sinew; as it was stretched toward the gun, Judy guessed it had been a casualty of the victim's attempt to repel his attacker. And if it was Doug, who had once bragged being able to hit a cheetah, she'd expect he'd gotten off at least a few shots. There was a strange scent about the scene, as well. Something sweet, but somehow nauseating.

Judy peered around for the source of the scent; an arc of small, round blots of blood near the body drew her eye, but when she drew closer, she found the pattern repeated a few inches away, and then again…

Footprints! They were small and looked canine. Now that she recognized the shape, Judy could see others scattered across the space - at least one other mammal's footprints, a larger canine. But the small footprints were less scattered, more indicative of deliberate movement. Judy stepped gingerly around the body and bloodstains and followed the prints to the rear window. The window was closed, but there were bloody marks on the outside of the glass. It wasn't a small window, but it was hardly large enough to admit a mammal who could tear a full-grown sheep apart.

And that meant those footprints belonged to...whom? An accomplice? A friend of Doug's?

Judy decided to explore the other rooms rather than waste her time staring at bloody pawprints. She would have called the kitchen a mess if the hallway wasn't a crime scene. The other room held a low desk and stained mattress; a trunk half-full of ammunition was open in the corner, and papers and clothing had been thrown across the room. There were far too many to make sense of without picking them up, but Judy took a shot at scanning them as she picked her way over to the trunk.

Nothing jumped out at her, but when she reached the trunk, her heart jumped a little. Cash. A bag overstuffed with money sat nestled among the bullets. Judy carefully pulled a dollar from the mess, feeling a strange moment of uncertainty when she saw it wasn't real.

Or at least, she realized with a start, it wasn't a real _Zootopian_ dollar. A picture of George IV adorned the money, which was labeled '100'. Given the size of the bag, it could contain hundreds of thousands of...Europan dollars? She wasn't sure if they had a different dollar there. It seemed an awful lot of money to pay somebody to steal a few bottles of chemicals.

Deciding she wasn't likely to get more answers without some forensic insight, Judy picked her way back to the front door and stepped outside to join Nick. The air, cool and free of both the metallic tang of blood and the dizzying sweet scent, cleared out a pressure from Judy's lungs she hadn't realized was there. It did nothing to clear her confusion about what had gone on inside the apartment, however.

Nick scrambled up from where he'd been lounging on the steps before drawing close to Judy, sniffing carefully.

"You're okay?"

"Yeah. You just think you're ready for anything this job can throw at you, and then…"

"Yeah." Nick shifted back, tail curling close around his leg as his gaze dropped. "Sorry I couldn't-"

"It's _okay_."

"Is it?" Nick chuckled. "A predator who can't stand the sight of blood?"

"Nick…" Judy stepped up and rubbed along his back. "You don't have to apologize for being…"

"Weak?"

" _Gentle_ ," Judy corrected. "I wanted to be a cop my whole life; I've been watching police procedurals forever. You...don't want to hurt people. You had _permits_ to make sure your 'hustle' was on the up and up. It's...admirable, Nick. Sweet. You're going to have to learn to...live with it, but I _love_ that you care that much. Don't apologize."

"Well, if it's an _order_..."

"It is."

Nick lifted his head back up, grinning. "Alright, then, Officer."

Their backup chose that moment to arrive, bringing in CSI, a few more cops to help canvass, and a team to get the body back to the medical examiner. The latter team took a few minutes to return, and then they were chatting easily. Nick took a step away as they wrangled the stretcher down the steps. One of them, a stocky goat, glanced at Nick.

"You're gonna need to get used to this, bro, 'less you wanna get stuck on parking duty."

"Ha!" the other, a hippo, chortled. "He should ask the Vulture for a tour of his office."

The goat shuddered. "Even _I_ don't have the stomachs for that. C'mon, let's turn this stiff over to the Vulture and clock out."

"The Vulture?" Judy stepped around Nick, giving him a little separation from the corpse.

"The medical examiner," the hippo replied. "You see, because he picks at dead bodies. _Real_ into it, too. Creepy as all get-out. You'd like him." He gestured at Nick, who bristled, briefly, before settling, looking a little confused. "Anyway, we've got to jet. See you around!"

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Nick muttered, scowling at the retreating ambulance. "Here's a real creep, you'd get along great!"

"I've got a couple of thoughts, and I don't like any of them. Come on, we've got some canvassing to do, see if anyone saw anything."

"And now I get to waste three hours of my life," Nick said, throwing up his paws. "I know places like this, Carrots, and nobody saw anything. Our perp could have walked out the front door covered in blood, and nobody would have seen anything."

Judy grabbed Nick's paw and tugged him after her. "That's defeatist thinking."

"It's _realism_." But Nick did follow her to begin canvassing.

He even refrained from saying 'I told you so' when three hours yielded no information, even looking a little down himself as they clambered back into the cruiser.

"Sorry, Judy. Mammals around here just don't-"

"I get it." Judy let her head fall on the steering wheel and let it rest there a minute. "I just wish the fact we're here to help made a difference."

"It does, Hopps." Nick patted the back of Judy's head. "Because of you, there's foxes and weasels and raccoons who know there are mammals on the force who'll give them a fair shot. A place like this, though - talking can be dangerous, even if they know you're looking out for them."

"Oh." The blossoming warmth and - pride at hearing she _was_ making a difference warred with a sinking sense in her stomach, the same worry and disappointment when she'd first learned that Zootopia wasn't the bastion of interspecies unity she'd always believed. Mammals shouldn't have to be afraid of their own neighbors, or of doing the right thing.

But that had to be set aside for another day; one attempted murder and one _real_ murder made for more immediate concerns.

"So, what did you find out inside?"

"I don't even know. There were at least a couple of attackers - both canine, I think. One small - it looks like they climbed out the window afterward. And the whole place stank with this weird, sweet smell."

"Felix," Nick growled.

"We don't know that-"

"Come on - little canid footprints around a crime scene, and that smell - was it the same from the alley?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then why are you hedging?"

"Because I'm not going to run around accusing a fox of wrong-doing just because he's - creepy or whatever. Everything's still circumstantial and without a motive, it looks like we're picking on him because-"

"He's a fox?"

"...Yeah."

"Aw, Judy." Nick patted her leg. "Some foxes are bad news; you have to know that."

"Yeah."

"And no one's going to look at this evidence and think you're prejudiced for suspecting Felix."

"But it doesn't make sense! The bedroom was ransacked, and there was this sack of Europan dollars-"

"Pounds."

"What?"

"Pounds. Short for pounds sterling. They used to make them out of sterling silver." Nick grinned at Judy when she just stared at him. "What? Surprised this dumb fox knows something?"

"What did you study, anyway? Not business - I bet you had a handle on that early on."

Nick laughed. "Close. Economics. I didn't get a full degree - you know how stuff gets in the way - but I learned a lot about how the world works." He slumped a little by the end, so it was Judy who gave him a reassuring pat. He smirked a little. "Don't worry about it, Carrots. We're fixing things one mammal at a time, right?"

"Right."

"Wait a minute. You said there was a bag of money in there?"

"Yeah. Hundred-doll-pound bills. If they were all that large, it was at least a hundred thousand pounds - maybe more."

"You're right," Nick muttered. "It doesn't make sense." He scratched an ear idly. "I can't think of anyone who'd _leave_ the money there, especially if they tore the place apart."

"What if it was his employer?"

Nick shook his head. "You pay someone a hundred thousand dollars - more like a hundred fifty with the exchange rates - then kill him, and let him keep the money? What's a corpse going to do with a hundred fifty thousand dollars?"

"You've got a point there." Which was infuriating, because if Nick had a point, he was right - none of this made any sense.

A sharp rap on the top of her head startled Judy out of her thoughts. She turned and glared at Nick. "What was that?"

"You're thinking too hard. Let's just get back to the station, get our notes on paper, and sleep on it. We can visit the Vulture and see if he's got anything on the body." Judy thought a moment before nodding. What had first seemed like an unforgivable casualness towards their work had quickly proven to be a clever way of dealing with problems. Judy'd been raised to throw herself at a problem until it gave way under the amount of effort pushed at it. Nick let problems percolate on his mind while he was doing something else until an answer bubbled up. And after a few false starts, they'd learned to trust each other to know when a problem needed Judy's approach, and when it needed Nick's.

And right now, this was a problem that was going to give way when it was good and ready, and not a moment before.


	10. Chapter 10

"Alright, animals, let's calm down." Chief Bogo slammed a thick file on his podium, cutting through the general chatter of the bullpen and bringing it to a hurried close. "I know we're all atwitter over the big crime, so settle so I can lay out the facts. At approximately two-twenty this morning, several assailants attacked His Majesty George IV in his hotel suite. The noise failed to rouse his personal guard, but it did alert one nearby guest, who called it in. Officers Hopps and Wilde were first on the scene, where the king was already under the guard of his head of security. He has since been transferred to Marten Luther King Jr. Memorial Hospital, where he is under constant guard by ZPD and his own security team. His brother has moved to the Europan embassy - an estate out in the Meadowlands which is under watch, again, by our people and the royal guard. 

"Forensics has a room full of evidence, which is abundant but not helpful. There are no productive leads, although Officers Hopps and Wilde did identify potential routes of escape for our perpetrators." He took a deep breath. "Examination of the scene and His Majesty's wounds suggest the attackers, or at least those committing assault, were medium-weight predators, species unknown, at least until we sort through all of the dog hair in the suite to find traces of the interlopers."

Nick raised his paw. Given that he and Judy sat at the front, he knew Bogo saw him, but the chief pressed on without acknowledging him. Lucky Nick was patient.

"I'll be assigning one team as lead on this case; they will draw on other resources as needed. You will contact me directly if you have concerns about providing assistance. Obviously, _all_ of you will keep your ears open for any hint of a lead. We are in desperate need of intelligence, and that is lacking until we can build more of a case. _Yes_ , Officer Wilde?"

Nick tried to give the chief a disarming grin, but from the buffalo's scowl, it didn't make much of an impression. "I wondered if you got any answers from Tim - that bear who _tried_ to assault His Majesty. There's a motive there, and if he had friends-"

"He's not talking, Mr. Wilde. But thank you for reminding me you're here. You and Officer Hopps will be taking the lead on this investigation." Nick's ears twitched at the sudden shifting and murmuring around him; he resisted the urge to hunch his shoulders against the tension. "I don't want to hear any grumbling about this. It's important we put forth our best effort, and that means pulling together. I'll be posting rosters for various watches in a few minutes; Hopps, Wilde, you come with me."

Nick scrambled off their seat, realizing only when Judy yelped that he had her paw in his. He gave her an apologetic smile before bolting after Chief Bogo. They caught up with him about fifty feet from the bullpen.

"I just want to thank you for your faith in us, sir-"

"Shut it, Wilde. You two have a knack for stumbling into big things, and your Savanna Central murder tells me this attack on His Majesty is a big thing. More than that...you're very tenacious, Hopps. You'll pull on a thread until it unravels, _no matter where it goes_."

"Sir?" Judy's nose twitched in confusion.

"And Tim's not talking; if he's got anything relevant to the case, I'm betting Wilde can pull it out of him. Tim Mishka, Europan native, by the way."

Chief Bogo slammed open a heavy door with a clang that made Nick jump. He grinned weakly at Judy before following Chief Bogo inside and down to the cells. Nick shivered as they descended the one flight down to the holding cells; he might be on the side of law and justice, but the overarching threat of prison had governed his existence for the better part of twenty years (and not to mention hot, painful memories of muzzles and unkind laughter).

"Forensics stuck most of their work in Room 107. I presume you'll want to look at it when you're done here. Or who knows - maybe you'll rush off on a tangent that leads you to the heart of the whole conspiracy. Frankly, I do not care. It is clear you have your own process, so as long as you follow procedure and fill out your paperwork, I am paws-off here."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence, sir!"

Chief Bogo gave Judy a long, measuring stare. "Your enthusiasm and energy always continue to be a surprise to me, Hopps. Good luck."

He left them halfway down to the cells. Judy was still grinning sunnily, so she grabbed Nick's paw and dragged him down after her.

"You're on the outside, Wilde," she muttered, ignoring his startled look. He couldn't fathom how she knew what he was thinking. A year couldn't be enough that she could read him that well. But as he followed Judy down to the holding cells, Nick lingered on the last year. They'd spent evenings watching dumb movies (Judy liked true crime and overacted gore-fests; Nick had shared his love of old romantic musicals), listening to music, or just talking about their lives. She kept cans of his favorite mixed nuts in her kitchen. He'd told her about his weakest moments.

He'd let her in, something he forgot in the moments when he felt most like his old, paranoid self. But the realization never brought the panic the idea of such closeness would once have inspired; after all, Judy used her knowledge only to support and protect Nick.

He slowed as they hit the holding cell floor. Fluorescent bulbs cast a blue-white light over sterile metal. On the left, cells, ranged from rodent to elephant sized, stood empty, cots barren and cool. Only the quiet breathing of a sleeping mammal broke the silence of the space.

About thirty feet in, a large, dark form in bright orange rested on a cot.

Judy shot Nick a sidelong glance. "Good cop, bad cop?"

"Nah." Nick ambled to the sleeping bear's cell and tapped on the bars lightly. "I think we'll try friendly all the way around. Hey! Mishka!"

The bear shifted, grumbling. "Go away."

"Afraid I can't do that. See, I'm getting paid to be down here, so...can I at least apologize for the tazing you got? I sort of thought I could talk you down so we could have a nice, orderly arrest."

Tim turned around, scowling, but when he saw Nick, his mouth shifted into - well, not a smile, because Tim was still in jail for threatening to beat up royalty and then eat an officer of the law - but a less irritated expression.

"You! Ah, Nick?"

Nick nodded. "In the flesh. Anyway, I'm not in the business of distracting people so my colleagues can electrocute them."

Tim snorted. "You must not deal with Europan authorities much, then."

"True. You mind if my partner listens in?"

Tim glanced at Judy, and froze. His eyes widened and he shrunk down a little. "Ah...I suppose."

"Relax." Nick leaned back against the bars, stretching a little. "I mean, get a lawyer if you want, and don't answer anything you don't want to, but no one here's going to bite your head off."

Tim flinched. "I think...maybe I should apologize. I-"

"Don't worry about it," Judy drawled. "A bear like you trapped in a circle of dogs - panicking's natural." She was smiling gently, but didn't move closer. "I _could_ go."

"No, it's fine." Tim took a few deep, slow breaths. Nick spun on his heel to face the bear, seeing Tim was sitting up, paws on his knees. "I acted...terribly."

"We all have bad days. Yours, though...what were you trying to do?"

Tim sighed. "I grew up when bear-baiting was still legal. My mother taught me to keep my head down, never give anyone a reason to think I was a threat." He glanced briefly at Nick, gritting his jaw. "I've seen the sort of stuff the prey around here get up to when they think they can get away with it. Can you imagine what it's like if they know they can call down a pack of hounds on your heels if you fight back?" He growled, not giving Nick a chance to reply, even though he couldn't imagine what he'd say in response. The only thing that came to mind was too intimate to share with a stranger, even one who'd experienced something akin to Nick's own traumas. "George IV actually issued the decree that made pred purges illegal."

"What? Then why-"

"Because everyone always says how grateful I'm supposed to be to him that he agreed my life is worth anyone else's!" Tim roared. "Because dogs will still nip at your heels just to remind you there was a time they could rip you to pieces and all anyone would think is that another predator got what he deserved. Because every prey garden's got red tulips in it. His Majesty acts like we should be grateful it's not legal to murder us anymore, like he's fixed the whole country with a wave of his scepter. He needs to be reminded things aren't as good as he likes to pretend."

Nick tried to stay calm through all of that, but he was shaking a little, by the end. He ignored it, gave Tim a close-mouthed smile. "Did you think he needed a good yelling at, or a beating?"

"I wouldn't!" Tim flinched when his gaze fell past Nick, but he straightened, affecting a steady, calm posture. "I reacted...badly, I know, but I didn't want to hurt anyone. King George just needs to understand there are predators still hurting…"

"Hey, I get it. Things aren't perfect over here, either. But I need to know one more thing, Tim. Do you know anyone - any of your friends, anyone - who you suspected _wanted_ to hurt His Majesty?"

Tim paused then shook his head. "Me and the other expats just wanted him to _understand_."

"Yeah, I hear you. Look, Tim, we're going to see what we can do for you. I mean, you didn't technically threaten anyone - yelling at Judy was just stress, I get it - and hopefully we'll have a lot of goodwill when we track down our _other_ perp, so...well, we'll see."

"Really?" The bear's ears perked up. "Look, I don't know if this has anything to do with all this, but I figure it can't hurt. There's always been a lot of talk about His Majesty's guard - the one in charge, Sir Goldenrod. Actually, there's always been weird rumors about all the Goldenrods. Mammals say they're part of some secret society or...a cult or something."

"Oh _really_." Nick didn't need to look back at Judy to know she was grinning, or that she was hopping in one place excitedly. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Well, you've been a great help, Mr. Mishka. As I said, we'll take a look at what we can do for you. Unfortunately, we need to get going - very important police work." Nick reached through the bard to shake Tim's paw, and then stepped away. "Come on, Carrots."

Judy waited until they were actually back upstairs to explode, "I _knew_ there was something fishy about that Retriever!"

"Yeah, yeah, rein it in, Cottontail. We still don't know it has anything to do with the attack. And we are not rushing off until we put in some notes…" Nick's stomach grumbled. "And get something to eat."


	11. Chapter 11

Nick was staring at her. He wasn't doing it subtly, like when he was trying to make sure she wasn't actually grievously wounded or starving. It wasn't even like when he gave her those goofy, affectionate smiles and forgot to look away. He was staring at her - intently, fixedly, in a way that would make her nervous if she didn't know him.

And it was _still_ worrying her. Judy wiped at her muzzle on the off chance she'd gotten some dressing on it, but Nick's expression didn't change.

"What?" she demanded at last.

Nick jolted, glancing down at his risotto before raising his head slowly, ears back against his skull. "Sorry. I just...you got a tulip salad."

"Yes, and?" Judy's ears flapped back, feeling a thread of defensiveness. "I _like_ tulips. My mother always saved them for special occasions." She speared a petal and dried blueberry before popping both into her mouth.

"Tim mentioned something about red tulips," Nick mused. "I was just wondering if that meant anything."

Judy paused and stared down at her salad, considering the question. When nothing came to her, she shook her head. "No idea. It's a flower. Very popular in rabbit cuisine."

"Hm. Tim said prey back home grew tulips to intimidate predators. Not something you'd use a flower for."

"We've been surprised by a flower before." Judy poked at her salad before digging back in. She paused a few bites in, however, thinking about flowers. They kept hearing about flowers, nothing directly related to the case, but the repetition felt like something more than coincidence.

Nick poked Judy with his spoon; she jerked back to the present and gave him a weak smile.

"Just thinking."

"Well, stop. We've got too many threads to pull, so let's pick one and stick with it. We've got a cult to break up."

They paid and left the restaurant, clambering back into the cruiser. The drive to the worn-down townhouse Judy had followed Sir Goldenrod to was short, but at every stop sign and light, Judy found her leg jittering anxiously. Halfway there, Nick put a paw on her vibrating leg to still it.

"Hey."

"Sorry." Judy ducked her head, feeling suddenly small.

"Don't worry, Carrots. You just look a little tense."

"I'm just nervous; we're close, I can _feel_ it."

Nick grinned. "I thought it was us predators who got worked up over the chase."

"Rabbits run, Wilde," Judy retorted, punching Nick's shoulder. "This is just a big case; seeing it right to the end is nerve-wracking."

"Well, we're here." Judy stopped short, nearly sending Nick tumbling into the windshield. He gave her a wry grin and unbuckled himself. "Stay cool, Cottontail."

"Yeah." Judy wiped a paw across her brow, parked, turned off the car, and sat quietly for a moment, taking deep breaths. Once she was pretty sure she'd gotten back under control, she slipped out of the cruiser to meet Nick on the sidewalk. He'd settled there, watching the far side of the street through half-lidded eyes. Judy joined him, and they waited there for a few minutes. It was coming on toward dusk, and the house was still, quiet. No dogs in hooded robes slipped in or out, no howls echoed across the street, and no convenient clues fell out a second-story window.

"You ready, Carrots?"

Judy nodded, and they crossed the street together, though Judy took the lead as they climbed the few steps up to the door. Though old, it didn't smell musty or rotten, and when Judy rapped on the door, she found it sturdy.

"Hello? ZPD!"

No one answered. Judy waited a minute, bouncing on her feet, and then gave Nick a sidelong look. They didn't have any convenient excuse - manufactured or otherwise - to enter legally. She rapped at the door again. Another minute passed silently.

"I think we're done here-"

"Sh!" Judy was almost certain she'd heard something, so she strained her ears, trying to block out the faint background of the city to hear what was going on inside.

A pained yelp carried through the wood, barely audible, but still there. Judy grinned at Nick, finding him grinning toothily in return. A sound like that could easily be someone in danger, and that meant reasonable cause.

The door was unlocked, allowing Judy, Nick covering her with his gun, to pull it open. "ZPD!" Nick stepped in first, and she, after drawing her weapon, followed. The interior was aged but well-maintained, two stories of dark, heavy wood, walls painted a speckled dull green that gave the whole space the oppressive feeling of the Rainforest District. Paintings hung on every wall, depicting dogs of every line, color, and shape. It took a moment for Judy to see other mammals in the depictions - the odd feline or sheep, a fox, a porcupine. Stairs rose from the left of the room, and a narrow hallway continued back on the right, three doors branching from it.

A second yelp came from the furthest room on the floor, and Judy leapt into action, wasting a moment in her final approach to build the momentum to launch herself at the door. She grabbed the knob as she hit the door so when it flew open, she moved with it, letting go and rolling forward as it began to slow.

"Freeze!" she shouted as she came up, gun pointed forward.

"Free - aw, crud."

Four dogs were arranged about a well-appointed room, walls set with intricate carvings, floor covered in plush white carpet, and high ceiling bearing a trio of elaborate chandeliers that kept the room illuminated. The far wall was smooth and dominated by a fresco of a bizarre creature, hairless, flat-muzzled, and almost featureless, like if someone took a mammal and pulled away everything that made it unique.

Three dogs, one brown, one black, and one tan, were kneeling before the fourth, a white dog with black spots all along its form. None were wearing robes, but the spotted dog had a high, white collar on his shirt. All four stared at Judy and Nick with wary expressions; they stood tensely, eyes scanning the space between the dogs and the police.

"I don't suppose any of you are being murdered," Nick muttered.

"No," the spotted dog replied. "Um. We were in the middle of a service-"

"Wait a minute." The tan dog scrambled to his feet, and with a better look, Judy realized the wide-set dog was Sir Goldenrod. "Officer...Hopps?"

"Yes." Judy glanced at her hands, and, realizing her gun was still out, dropped it down to holster it. "Um, sorry about this. It sounded like someone was, um, hurt."

Sir Goldenrod's ears flattened against his head as he ducked his head a little, unwilling to meet Judy's gaze. "That was me. I...have not had penance often."

"Penance?" Judy caught sight of a...rolled-up newspaper in the spotted dog's hand. She sighed, reaching up to rub at her forehead. "Look, this might have been some big misunderstanding, but I think we need to have a better idea about what's going on here before I can write this off as nothing of police interest."

There was a slight loosening of stances, and the other dogs rose to their feet. Sir Goldenrod and the spotted dog had a brief exchange of glances before Sir Goldenrod waved back at the door.

"Maybe we can sit down somewhere, and I can explain?"

Judy and Nick followed him to the closest door to the front entrance, a dining room set with much the same browns and greens as the front room. Sir Goldenrod took a seat at the head of a long table, and Judy gestured Nick to sit with her near the foot.

"That was a painting of a Mann back there, wasn't it?"

Sir Goldenrod glanced at Nick, nodding once. "Yes. Me and my fellows are Initiates of Mann."

"Wait, wait," Nick said, pointing at Sir Goldenrod. "You actually _worship_ Manns?"

Judy raised a paw. "Can we hold on a second and tell me what a...Mann is?"

Nick and Goldenrod gave Judy long looks. Nick, at last, gestured at Goldenrod. "You're the expert."

Goldenrod leaned back, humming to himself for a few moments. "Those of us who believe that there is some...entity or entities who made the world - the universe - struggled for ages to consider what sort of mammal such an entity would be. To say it was a dog, or a fox, or a rabbit, seemed tremendously arrogant to most theologians. The philosopher Wangdao first suggested that the creator would embody the core - the very essence of what makes a mammal. She called this creature a Mann. Her student Shenxue theorized about the nature of Manns. Both predator and prey, they were...a contradiction and unity of nature's multitudes. And thus, their desires were not the desires of predator _or_ prey. The Initiates of Mann seek to live in a way...harmonious to these aspects. To be a Good Dog - ah, well, mammal."

Judy pondered on that a few moments. The way Goldenrod described it, the whole Initiates of Mann thing sounded innocuous. And yet…

"I saw you come here the night of the gala. You said you'd be in trouble if anyone knew."

Goldenrod grimaced. "Because the worship of Mann has been banned in Europa for two hundred years."

"Why?"

To Judy's right, Nick inhaled sharply. "Oh, _crud_. They didn't…"

"What?"

But Nick was staring at Goldenrod, a pained sort of expression on his face. "Sir Goldenrod-"

"Albert, please."

"Why did they ban the worship of Mann?"

"Bite only those who endanger you. Protect your home. Be loyal to those who are true. These are parts of the Code of Mann. These tenets caused...rifts within the Europan nobility. Within the common masses, as well. The crimes for which a predator could be executed were...counter to these laws."

Nick was growling, and Judy wanted to, as well. The sheer unjustness of it made her want to hit someone.

But then something cut through the rage.

A notion.

"What were you doing penance for, Albert?"

His ears fell back again and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I was a Bad Dog. I disobeyed the Master. I failed to protect my home. I betrayed a dog who was true."

"Al, we need an answer," Nick said gently. "We're on the lead finding who attacked your king, and we have to know if you did anything to hurt him, if you let someone else hurt him."

"No!" Goldenrod bolted to his feet. "I failed him, coming here instead of watching him, but he - he was inspired by Mann! He ended the most heinous crimes against mammals!"

Judy nodded, stomach sinking. She'd been so certain they'd found the key to solving this case, only to find this - a couple of dogs who just wanted to make the world a better place. She glanced at Nick, whose jaw was set and eyes narrow in concentration.

"Nick?"

"Al, you're the head of security. Are you the only dog there who's an Initiate of Mann?"

Goldenrod snorted. "Yes. The rest of the team - they're old-school, _civilized_ dogs. The type to grow red tulips in their gardens."

Judy snapped straight up and slammed her paws on the table. The sudden noise made Goldenrod jerk sideways, giving her a wide, startled look.

"What does that mean? Red tulips - what's the significance?"

"It's a red flower that grows from bulbs. Planting it in your garden is a slap in the face to any predator who sees it."

" _Why_?"

"Because it's like looking at a field of Blood Blossoms."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just note that the tenets of the Code of Mann are drawn from Pugmire, an RPG copyright Onyx Path Publishing.


	12. Chapter 12

Nick had driven Judy back to her apartment once they were done with Goldenrod. It had taken a full fifteen minutes of argument for him to convince her to get some sleep, and he suspected only because Doctor Onyx's office hours required the sun to be up.

And even then, Nick had dragged her to bed and pinned her to his chest until she fell asleep before he relaxed, letting the steady beating of her heart lull him to sleep.

He woke just after dawn to the sweet smell of coffee - the concentrated dark roast Mr. Wiedis across the street made for Nick whenever he visited. There was a hint of warm blueberry scent to the air as well.

He was also cold, which itself was more the reason for waking than the food. Now that Nick had a steady job, and a permanent residence, he could afford to prioritize sleep over eating.

Nick shifted; his movement continued past what he expected, and he hit the floor in a tangle of blankets.

"Nick! Are you alright?"

Nick struggled for a few moments before he threw off the sheets and clambered to his feet. Judy was seated at her desk, a cup of coffee beside her. She was dressed in her uniform; he stuck only in his boxers, Nick might have once been embarrassed. But this was Judy - his best friend in the world, who'd seen him sobbing underneath a library table, and that was just in the past _week_.

"You look chipper."

"Us carrot farmers need to get up with the sun, Wilde."

"Urgh." Nick looked around for the cup of coffee that had to belong to him. When he found it, he grinned and lunged, taking a few moments to inhale the scent. Even the worst coffee had a tantalizing, rich aroma; Nick refused to drink a drop of coffee before he'd taken time to savor it. It was enough to perk up his ears and put a bounce in his step. Not to say he didn't enjoy drinking a really good cup after that.

"Are you planning to go policing in your underwear?"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Give me a minute, Carrots. Someone stole my teddy bear and I'm still mourning."

"Come on, hurry up."

"Alright, hold on." Nick made for Judy's tiny bathroom, but paused just before closing the door. "And you better make sure I get one of those muffins!"

He took a hurried shower, shook himself dry, and pulled on his boxers before venturing back out to find his uniform. Judy politely tapped on her phone while Nick pulled on his clothes, but sprung to her feet the moment he was done.

"Come on-"

"Relax, Hopps." Nick shoved the lone blueberry muffin in his mouth and grinned around the pastry. "And we can go."

"Even my little brothers can wait until after they're done eating to talk."

Nick swallowed and stuck his tongue at Judy. "Even when they've got a humorless rabbit cop hopping on them to get going?"

"Shush, let's go." Judy shoved Nick out the door, nearly sending him careening into an oryx. "Sorry, Pronk!" Judy shouted as she dragged Nick to the stairs.

"You're a menace, Hopps!"

As they left the building, Nick swiped Judy's keys; she tried to yank them back, but Nick was already sliding into the driver's seat of the cruiser. She sat down heavily in the passenger's seat, and when he turned, she was watching him with a narrow, puzzled face.

"What are you doing?"

"We are checking in at the station, and then we can go talk to Dr. Onyx."

"What? Nick-" Nick fended off Judy's lunge for the wheel. "Nick, we need to talk to her! You _heard_ Goldenrod."

Nick had.

" _Blood Blossoms. They've been illegal to cultivate for centuries, part of the Europan Accord. Prey chewed on them before battle in the Blood Blossom War, thought they gave them supernatural strength and durability. The accounts of those battles describe prey with the ferocity of badgers, cutting through mammals twice their size. Prey used red flowers for ages to remind predators there was a time prey could have wiped us out._ "

"Someone is messing around with Night Howlers in _my city_ , Nick."

Nick reached out, resting a paw on Judy's shoulder. "I know, Carrots. But knowing that's only half the battle. We've got an assault and a murder on our paws, and tracking that's our first priority. Whatever they're up to, finding the perps is going to end the Night Howler problem. I want to take a look at the crime scenes, maybe talk to the medical examiner."

Judy shuddered and dropped back against her seat, tension gone. "...You're right. Let's go."

Nick gave Judy a gentle smile; she returned it tentatively, so Nick left a paw on her leg as he drove to the station. She still seemed uncertain when they arrived, trailing a few steps behind Nick. He decided to let it go for the moment. She'd speak up when she had something she thought Nick needed to hear.

"Ben!" Nick waved at Clawhauser as they entered the station. The cheetah gave a responding wave, grinning.

"Nick and Judy, come on over here!" Judy began moving first, so Nick decided she was done being worried about the whole Night Howler situation (or at least, like Nick, setting it aside on the theory that a crazed murderer was more of a concern than a bunch of psychosis-inducing flowers) and followed.

"And how goes the big investigation?" Clawhauser demanded as they drew close. "I haven't seen you around the station much, but we never really do, do we?"

"We live on the edge, Ben, always rushing into the thick of things. Did you have a reason to call us over, or did you just want to grace us with your sparkling personality?"

Clawhauser narrowed his eyes at Nick, but chuckled, too. "As a matter of fact, I did just want to chat. It's very hard to keep in the loop on the biggest news in months when my best sources are out of the office all the time."

Nick shrugged. "Can't afford to slow down, Ben, not when royalty's life is on the line. On that note, how's he doing?"

"Still out. And his boar and badger snarl at anyone who gets within five feet of the door. I _really_ hope you two are on top of this; Chief Bogo's on the warpath. I think he's sick of getting calls from the mayor's office."

"We're working on it. If anyone needs us, we'll be looking over the evidence." Nick waved to Clawhauser and turned down toward the conference rooms. 

Judy cut in front of him, flicking the lights on just as Nick stepped into the room, and he...paused. He'd seen a forensics work-up before, but seeing the crime scenes laid out so neatly was daunting. Here there were pictures of deep gouges along with measurements. There pictures of King George's wounds. There a set of pictures of the hotel room, items circled and linked to blown-up pictures next to them.

Judy drifted to a set of pictures of claw marks on the floors of the hotel suite. "There's at least three distinct patterns here."

"Hm." Nick scanned the pictures, trying to find something that jumped out as out-of-place. There was a list of hair samples found in the room - dog, boar, badger, fox, hare. There was a picture of red petals scattered near an upended vase. Another showing the king's body sprawled on top of a shattered table.

"Wait a minute…" Nick began examining the pictures closer, trying to find something that was supposed to be there. When he didn't find it, he darted to where Judy was still trying to figure out claw patterns. "Carrots, come on! I need you to look at something."

"What? Nick-" But she came with Nick and obediently stared at the pictures. After a moment, she shook her head. "What do you want me to look at?"

Nick pointed at the shot of the vase and petals. "That. What do you see?"

Judy shook her head. "Nothing."

"No stems? No leaves? Just a bunch of flower petals?"

Judy's eyes widened marginally. "Oh…"

"Not tulip petals, are they?"

"No."

"Come on." Nick grabbed Judy's arm, pausing only to glance at the evidence inventory, and bolted out of the room. "We can check out the bag they stuffed these in and-"

Nick saw the obstacle a moment too late to stop, sending the two of them colliding with another mammal. Their victim was about Nick's size, so the collision knocked them all to their backs. Judy moved first; as the smallest, she had the easiest time extricating herself from the tangle of limbs. She reached down to grab Nick's paw, making it easy to rise, cautiously, to his feet.

A wide white fox scrambled up and a few steps away, rubbing morosely at his muzzle. He was dressed in drab brown slacks and a black t-shirt with a stiff collar. He offered Judy a brief glance, but otherwise watched Nick warily with a pair of dull blue eyes.

"Sorry about that!" Judy exclaimed. She closed the distance between her and the white fox, paw held out. "We really weren't watching where we were going."

The other fox tugged his paw away from Judy and tucked both under his armpits. "Please don't worry. I was just trying to find Officer Wilde?"

Nick grinned and stepped up, offering his paw. "That'd be me. Nicholas P. Wilde."

The white fox took a hurried step back, paws still concealed. "Oh. You're...Officer Wilde? You're a…" He trailed off, biting at his lower lip. His white fur failed to conceal a blush across his cheeks.

"A fox, yes. There was sort of a big to-do about it."

The other fox, whose ears had been flat back against his head for the entire encounter, perked up just a tiny bit, ears rising away from his head, if not fully upward. "I don't watch the local news much."

"Then I won't blame you for not recognizing me, as long as you'll do the same for me."

"What? Oh!" The fox let his arms drop, but didn't make a move to shake. "I'm Milo - Doctor Hallensi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. What can we do for you?" Judy seemed to have taken the hint, as she kept her distance from Milo.

"I'm - the Zootopia chief medical examiner."

"Oh! The V-" Nick snapped his jaw shut a quarter-second too late, a failure in his natural charm as Milo's posture stiffened, eyes narrowing. Nick had no excuse for it, aside from the vague sense of imbalance that had been plaguing him since the first assault. He closed his eyes, rubbing at his forehead, and took a deep breath. Milo was frowning when Nick opened his eyes. He grit his teeth but still tried a gentle smile.

"Can we pretend I didn't say anything? I'm on too little sleep to think clearly, and I should know better - mammals have stuck me with any number of stupid nicknames over the years."

Milo's ears twitched, but his expression didn't. His eyes did dart to Judy, and that seemed to give him enough information to make a decision. He straightened, squaring his shoulders, and offered Nick a paw.

"Doctor Hallensi, medical examiner."

Nick took Milo's paw just long enough to make contact. "Nicholas Wilde, ZPD. Now what can we do for you?"

Milo's ears perked up fully, and he bounced once on the tips of his feet; the motion seemed to leave him looking a little taller. "Actually, I was hoping I could help you. I took the lead on examining the body of Douglas Faeroes."

"Ooh." Judy stepped up next to Nick, already reaching for her notebook.

"Do you want to sit down and tell us about it?"

Milo gave Nick a thoughtful frown. "I thought you'd have questions for me. If you didn't have time to read my report yet, I could come back later."

"Cheese and crackers, did you drop that off already?"

"No, your colleague came by the hospital to pick it up."

"Colleague?" Nick's stomach roiled nervously. "Bogo?"

Milo shook his head. "I think he said his name was Felix."


	13. Chapter 13

"Okay. Let's recap." Judy had clambered to the top of one of the long tables in the evidence room to reach a whiteboard. "Felix. Cultural attache. We first find him sneaking around the first crime scene-"

" _Returning_ to the scene," Nick corrected from his sprawled position on a chair.

"Right, right."

"Um, I can come back later if you want?"

"No." Judy pointed a marker at Doctor Hallensi, who tensed briefly at the gesture. "We're going to need your input in a second. So. You see him, reeking of that weird scent we found at the alley. Wait. Did forensics pick up anything relating to that? A source, anything?"

Nick shook his head. "Not a thing."

"Next, we find fox tracks all over another crime scene, that same smell all over the place."

A quiet sound from Doctor Hallensi made Judy pause. His tail was twitching erratically and his ears perked forward. "Doctor?"

"You mentioned an unusual smell. I noted a - sweet scent - something overpowering - about Mr. Faeroes' body."

"And did _you_ find a source to it?" Judy's whole body was shaking, from ears to tail, the tension of standing at the edge of a deep plunge.

"It was something he ate."

"What?"

"No, no. It makes sense." Nick scrambled up onto the table with Judy and began pacing around her, tail flicking in time with his steps. "You're a sniper. Someone comes into your home to kill you, disarms you. You figure that you've got worse options than sending yourself into a feral state with a semi-toxic flower. Wait-" Nick hopped between the tables to the one near Doctor Hallensi's chair. "You look in dead people's stomachs, right? Did he eat any flowers?"

"Yes, but not _mendicampum holicifius_ \- it has a very distinct violet color I would have recognized."

Judy's nose twitched and her focus skipped a second. "Wait, what? I thought you said you didn't watch the news. How do you know about Night Howlers?"

Doctor Hallensi's own nose twitched; he glanced up at Nick, who'd paused mid-step, looking about as pole-axed as Judy felt. "My second doctoral thesis was on plant-based neurotoxins. I was always interested in the _mendicampum_ genus for the range of neurological symptoms of mendicampial toxicity."

Judy felt a jump in her heartbeat. "The whole _genus_ is toxic?"

"To varying degrees."

"Please tell me Night Howlers are the worst."

Doctor Hallensi's ears drooped at that. "It...depends on what you mean by worst. _Furiosa_ doesn't degrade conscious thought as much, but the heightened stimulant effect can be fatal. _Obsequius_ is tremendously damaging to higher brain functions…" He paused and ducked his head. "And this isn't helpful at all, is it?"

"I don't know," Nick muttered. "Are Blood Blossoms a _mendicampum_?"

" _Mendicampum furiosa_. The Berserker's Bloom."

Nick was already opening his mouth, but Judy cut in because they did not have time for an impromptu lecture. "Could you recognize a sample of it?"

"Not with perfect accuracy, but-"

"Nick, keep him company. I'll be right back."

As Judy sprinted down to the evidence lockers, she took those few moments to just think. Felix was at every crime scene they'd found, had insinuated his way into their medical examiner's office, and she had no idea what he was trying to accomplish. She didn't want to throw accusations at him, but it didn't look good. And at the same time, Nick was right. It didn't make _sense_. If he'd killed Doug, he'd left more than a hundred thousand dollars in his victim's apartment. If he'd attacked the king, he'd come back to the scene of the crime a few minutes later. She couldn't imagine the point of stealing the death report.

But otherwise, what was the point of running around poking his nose into everything?

She slowed at the door to the evidence room and stepped inside. She checked the inventory list, and notated that she had the leaves picked up from the floor of King George's hotel room. The bag held about six red petals, bright red and shaped something like Night Howlers. She tugged the bag open, but couldn't pinpoint the distinctive sweet scent.

On her way back, another angle came to her. Felix's actions were stupid as a perpetrator. But as someone trying to cover for someone…it made more sense. She could imagine him scrambling out the window moments before they arrived at Doug's apartment, having failed to remove a key piece of evidence. She could imagine him cleaning up the perpetrator's escape route outside the hotel. She could imagine him stealing the medical examiner's report, perhaps trying to remove key facts.

She kept her steps measured, though. Like Nick said, it was just a notion. They needed to get more facts before they could run off after it.

But it was a solid notion.

As Judy approached their conference room, her ears twitched, picking up the sound of Nick's and Doctor Hallensi's voices. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she slowed to give them space to talk before she realized she was close enough to hear them.

"Come on, did you always want to be a coroner?"

"...I'm a medical examiner."

Judy could almost see Nick's ears flick to the side in surprise. "Ah - sorry, never had a reason to learn the difference. So…"

"I like knowing how things work. I used to poke at dead bugs and birds when I was a kit. Um...it seemed easier not having to talk to people to do my job."

"Hey!" Judy stepped inside, hoping she hadn't broken up a delicate moment. Nick and Doctor Hallensi were sitting on adjacent chairs, Nick sprawled on his, and Doctor Hallensi sitting far back against his own. Nick glanced over at Judy, grinning brightly at her.

"Carrots! Come, join the party."

"This isn't exactly a party, Nick."

Nick shrugged. "Eh, fine. Show off your evidence." He clambered back down the floor and gestured at Doctor Hallensi to follow. Judy held out the bag to Doctor Hallensi, who tugged it close and peered at the petals for a few long moments.

"I'd guess it is _mendicampum furiosa_ , though I'd have to do some tests to make sure."

"So _what_?" Nick snapped. Doctor Hallensi flinched; Judy stepped closer, reaching out a paw, but Nick stormed away to begin stalking in a circle. "The Blood Blossoms, or Berserker Bloom, doesn't make any _sense_. You said it's fatal, so why would anyone eat it?"

Doctor Hallensi's tail was twitching, again; it kept flashing in and out of the edge of Judy's vision. "Doctor?"

"Badgers historically used a dilute dye based on _mendicampum furiosa_ to enhance their senses, strength, and endurance. Direct consumption of the flower, however, was shown to push the body far beyond its limits, resulting in death."

It was like the slap of realization when she'd finally pieced together the Night Howler case, at once a sharp clarity and a swaying sense of imbalance. "They had an _antitoxin_ \- or something they might be able to work into one. They could make someone stronger, faster, more durable, with none of the risks. You could turn anyone into an assassin."

"Yeah, but how'd they get past the…" Nick's eyes widened slowly; it was like watching a sloth get a joke. And then he lunged for the stacks of folders set at the back of the room. "Get over here, Hopps. I need to find the king's bodyguards' statements."

Judy darted over to grab a few folders that slipped from the table under Nick's furious digging through the papers. "Nick, calm down. What-"

"How'd the attackers get past the guards, Judy? Al said they were 'the types to grow red tulips'. I bet they grew up hearing stories about how _great_ fox hunts were. I bet they'd love it if the good old days came back - _damn_ it!"

Nick sat down heavily in the middle of the papers, teeth gritted and fangs bared; his tail behind him was swishing about aggressively. "I can't believe we were this _stupid_."

Judy'd felt lost with Nick's sudden action, but it wasn't hard to piece together what was going through his head now. She clambered up after him and patted his shoulder gently. "Nick…"

He turned on her, snarling.

"Nick, _stop it_." 

He jerked back, ears flat against his head, eyes wide and tearing up in mortification. "Jeez, Judy, I'm sorry, I don't know-"

Judy pulled his head toward hers, pressing their foreheads together. "Relax. This whole thing - I _know_ it's stressful. I can't imagine what you're feeling, but I just need you to remember _I've got your back_. You think the king's bodyguards did it? We'll go get answers."

Nick pulled away, and though he didn't look guilt-stricken, he still looked wild and pained. "We _can't_ , Carrots. They're camped up at the _embassy_. Trying to force our way in there probably constitutes an act of war."

"No."

Nick turned sharply. "What?"

" _No_. So we don't have jurisdiction? _Fine_. We can still ask to get in, try to get answers. We'll stake the place out and jump the first dog to leave the property. We are _not_ going to let this go."

The shock and pain on Nick's face shifted slowly, eyes narrowing to a more natural position, ears relaxing, mouth turning up into the easy smile he wore so much more often now.

"Alright, Carrots. Let's do this thing." He hopped down from the table and waved at Doctor Hallensi as he sauntered to the door. "Thanks a bunch, Milo. We'll get in touch later. Got some _bad guys_ to catch."


	14. Chapter 14

Ben peered down at Nick, frowning gently. "I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

"We're going to the Europan Embassy. Keep a line open in case the whole thing goes bad. And...well, try to keep it on the down low unless it's an emergency, because Chief Bogo _might_ not be happy with the idea."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said," Ben sighed. "Alright, I'll pretend I didn't hear anything unless you two get into trouble. Which should be when, exactly? I'd like to schedule my break around that so you don't get killed because I was eating a cruller."

"You're a regular Jerry Swinefeld," Nick retorted. "Come on, Carrots. Let's politely ask to interrogate suspected murderers outside of our jurisdiction." He paused mid-step. "That did in fact sound as stupid as it did in my head."

"It'll sound better when we crack this case open," Judy insisted, tugging at Nick's arm. "Let's _go_."

"Good luck!" Ben called, waving at them. Nick was certain he heard Ben mutter, "You're going to need it," but felt it was impolitic to mention it to Judy.

She drove at a reasonable speed, though her leg was tapping nervously throughout the ride to the Meadowlands. Nick was right there with her. There was no need to hurry; if the guards were responsible, they knew leaving the embassy was the biggest mistake they could make right now. But at the same time, he was eager to see this through. Nick glanced at Judy, whose posture was tense, and wondered if she'd prepared herself for the possibility that they were wrong. It seemed condescending to bring it up, but similarly irresponsible to let her work herself up too much.

"What do we do if this falls through?"

Judy took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "We go back to the drawing board. See what we can piece together. See if we can get Captain Scrofass to cooperate. We're not dropping this."

"I know, Carrots."

They pulled out of the Rainforest District, the maze of trees giving way to rolling hills and bluffs. In the far north, mountains broke the landscape, but here, shallow valleys sheltered neighborhoods segregated by long history, and some of the homes of Zootopia's elite dominated sprawling estates.

Here the Europans kept their embassy, a huge stone building abutted by a dense dark forest that seemed to function as a fence. It had the look of an old building, blocky and sturdy as if the Europans had set out to build a fortress. The paved road gave way to a cobbled arc that just touched a stone square framing the entrance before returning back to the main road. A square metal structure stood to the side of the driveway, a segmented front wall suggestive of a garage door. No one approached the police cruiser as it turned down the driveway, slowing until it stopped at the edge of the stone square.

Judy turned off the cruiser and turned to Nick, her professional face on. "You ready?"

"Anytime, Carrots." They stepped out of the cruiser in unison, slammed the doors, and approached the door to the embassy. A small, neat sign next to the massive metal-crossed doors identified the place. Nick shifted in front of Judy and knocked. "Hello?"

No answer. A minute stretched out. Nick shrugged and looked back at Judy. "No luck."

"No, let's just…" Judy stepped around Nick and tried the door; the heavy latch shifted and the door swung inward. "Ha!"

"Judy!" Nick hissed. "What are you doing?"

"Just poking our heads in!" Her ears didn't even twitch, she looked so serious. "We'll leave if anyone asks us to, and we're not, like, digging around places we shouldn't. I mean, it's an _embassy_ \- they should expect mammals coming in at all hours." She stepped inside, and Nick, tail bristling, followed, not quite calm enough to appreciate the irony that Judy was pushing _him_ to breaking and entering. Well, entering anyway.

The interior was designed to dispel the gloomy, impenetrable tone of the outside. Wood-paneled walls sported paintings, photographs, arms, armor and other cultural accessories or whatever. The floor was pale blue tile that clicked against Nick's nails. Small tables sat in corners next to mid-sized chairs that looked like they'd collapse under the weight of a mouse. A circular reception desk stood a dozen yards or so in from the door, in front of a wide staircase that rose into a second-story hallway. Nick glanced left and right, seeing the lobby continuing along similar terms in each direction.

"Ahem." A hedgehog sat demurely behind the desk, tapping her paw against the surface. "Can I help you?"

Nick approached easily - not a saunter, because in training they'd said it looked unprofessional, but casual. "Nick Wilde, ZPD. We were trying to get in touch with His Grace - wanted to talk to him about his brother's attack." Judy stepped up, mouth already open to explain, but Nick winked at her, and she dropped her hand, smoothed out her uniform.

The hedgehog, whose name tag identified her as Susan Sharpe, pushed herself to the side, chair sliding to a computer designed for mammals her size. She tapped at a few keys, peering carefully at the screen.

"Hm, I can send you along to Rufus - the head of his security team - to see if he'll take you." She pushed the chair back, vanished from view, and a moment later stepped out from a gap in the circular desk. "If you can follow me."

Nick gave Judy a thumbs-up behind Susan's head, and the rabbit rolled her eyes. Susan moved at a fast pace for someone with such short legs, taking them up the staircase, which boasted a smaller set of steps along the sides, allowing lightweight mammals easy access. She turned right at the top, taking them through a hallway that, though it had similar design choices, had a different purpose. There were more obvious security cameras (and presumable less obvious ones), many of the doors had black pads next to them, possibly for security cards, and the tile gave way to a less slippery dark green carpet.

Susan stopped at an unremarkable door and produced an ID card she swiped along the black pad. A green light lit up, and she pulled the door open. Nick caught a glimpse of the door's cross-section, unsurprised to find the door's core was made of metal.

"Come on." Susan waved at them, and Nick stepped back to allow Judy to enter first, then follow himself.

The room contained a number of security monitors along the right wall; a pair of dogs sat in front of them, gaze shifting rapidly between the screens. A dog about Nick's size, long-muzzled and marked with blotches of tan and black along his pale coat, sat behind a round table at the room's center. He looked up at Nick and met his gaze, smiling toothily.

"Hello, Officer Wilde. Hopps. It is a delight to see you."

"...Rufus?"

The dog laughed. "Yes, indeed. Come in." Behind them, the door slammed closed; Nick spun, finding Susan had vanished. "Don't worry; she needs to manage the visitor's center. Come in." Nick did, though his tail was twitching again. The whole room smelled overwhelmingly of dog, and there were half a dozen other dogs scattered about the room, lounging or pacing. "Sit down!"

Nick approached the table slowly, clambering into a chair built to accommodate mammals just slightly larger than him. Judy took a few moments longer.

Rufus was still grinning in a way that made Nick's hackles rise; dogs didn't tend to like eye contact, and they _definitely_ didn't tend to show their teeth when smiling.

"So what can I do for the ZPD?"

"We had a few questions to ask about the attack on His Majesty." Judy tugged out her notebook.

"I suspected as much." Rufus closed his mouth abruptly, frowning just a little. "I do apologize, Miss Hopps."

"For what?"

A blow struck the back of Nick's head. He vaguely heard shouting as the world around him swum and faded to black.


	15. Chapter 15

Judy wasn't certain how much time had past when she woke. Her head was pounding, so it took a few moments to reorient herself. She was in a bedroom, built to mid-weight scale, a little too big for rabbits. It retained the vaguely forest-like decor of the upper floors of the embassy, apparently a popular choice for Europans. She'd been laid on top of the dark blue duvet of a wide bed, still in her uniform but - she checked - devoid of her gun and taser. There was a little writing desk, a sofa, and a window to her right. She decided to try the door opposite the window, unsurprised to find it locked. She crossed to the window, which filtered pre-dawn light into the room. The room overlooked a wide, lightly-wooded valley, a picturesque forest with a few brooks criss-crossing it, and a few rocky ravines adding some variation to it.

A chorus of barks interrupted Judy's examination, a sound muffled by the glass between her and the outside. A moment later, what looked like the entire Europan security team ran, fanning out as they did, away from the building.

What was going on here?

The door behind her clicked; Judy ducked behind the bed, scrambling for anything she could use to defend herself, but found nothing more substantive than a pillow. The door swung outward, and, peering around the edge of the bed, Judy spied a short, tan fox step in.

"Felix? I should have known you were mixed up in this!"

The fox snorted. "I'd be wounded if I cared one whit what you think of me." There was something odd about his voice, but it was not the time to worry about that. "I could leave you in here, if you like."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Get up from behind that bed; I feel ridiculous shouting at a mattress." Judy stood up and stepped around to face Felix. " _Thank_ you. Now, I said I could leave you in here, the implication being, that my intention, or at least a possible consequence of my presence here, was releasing you." He gave Judy a sharp grin, and Judy realized suddenly what was bothering her about his voice. He'd lost the casual drawl he'd used when speaking to her before, speaking in a clear, precise tone. _Articulate_ , Judy thought ruefully.

"Why would you let me out?"

Felix shrugged. "I believe you lot over here call it 'the thin blue line'."

"The thin...you're a cultural attache, not a _cop_! And a pretty suspicious one, too! Sneaking around outside where the king was attacked, poking around Doug's apartment, taking our autopsy report..." Judy's stomach twisted uncomfortably. "You're a _cop_."

"Inspector Felix Chilote, EPD, at your service." Felix held out a paw. "I'm sorry for the subterfuge, but I don't technically have jurisdiction, and in any case, we're encouraged to keep our work...subtle."

Judy felt a surge of anger. "You could have _told_ us, instead of sneaking around making us think you were trying to cover something up!"

"I didn't have the evidence I needed to bring my suspicions to you. But I _did_ make sure you kept our people in the running for suspects."

"What?" And then Judy remembered something Nick had insisted made no sense. "Did you _plant_ that money in Doug's apartment?"

Felix shrugged. "He was paid by wire transfer. It would have taken ages to get that sort of evidence to you."

"I don't even - evidence tampering is a _felony_."

"I'm sure I can bargain my way down to community service, such as by helping the ZPD's finest frustrate my countrymen's efforts to ah, put an end to this investigation."

Judy's stomach twisted again. "What do you mean?" A notion occurred to her. "Where's Nick?"

And at that question, Felix drew back, ears drooping. "Ah. That. Y'see, technically, he's a predator trespassin' on Europan soil durin' a period of heightened security. His Grace's bodyguards have wide latitude in respondin' to such a threat. And since they don't expect His Majesty to pull through, they figure beggin' forgiveness of His Grace for an illegal fox hunt-"

" _Fox hunt_?" Judy lunged at Felix, dragging him up by his lapels before he could retreat. And the fox was trembling in her grip, though he was several inches taller than her. "And you're in here instead of - of _stopping them_?"

"I'm an _inspector_! I don't fight! And a dozen dogs? I wouldn't stand a chance!" He was still trembling, and it took Judy a few moments of clear thought - all but impossible right now, but she tried - to connect the dots. He wasn't young - it's possible his parents told him how to keep his head down to avoid the sort of attention that led to a fox hunt. 

She set Felix down.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think - this can't be easy for you."

"I _called_ for backup on your radio once I realized what they were doin', but I don't know what else to do-"

"Come on." Judy darted out the door, pausing once she realized she had no idea where to go. "I need you to find the _exit_ , Felix!"

His eyes narrowed, and he gave a sharp nod. "Right." 

Judy felt like she was _walking_ , the sprint through the embassy going impossibly slowly. But at last they burst out from a door into the growing daylight. Distant yelps and barks suggested that the hunt was still on, but that Nick (sly fox) was still eluding them.

"Did you find my gun, Felix?"

He shook his head.

Judy growled and looked around desperately for anything she could use to help Nick. But this was some sort of decorative garden, red flowers winding around trellises that encircled a vast patio set with wire benches and tables-

"Felix. Those are Blood Blossoms, aren't they?"

"Judy?"

"Are they?"

"Do y'know what happens to rabbits who eat Blood Blossoms?"

"How long do I have, Felix?"

He swallowed nervously. "Half an hour. Maybe an hour, if you're lucky."

Judy gave Felix a grin to let him see the confidence she did not feel. "Well, as it happens, I've got _four_ rabbit's feet." She stalked to the nearest trellis and pulled off a pair of flowers. She shoved both into her both and chewed; the taste was something like a skunk's spray that someone had tried to cover up with honey. She tried not to gag as she swallowed. "Now. How long until I-"


	16. Chapter 16

Consciousness returned slowly; Nick tried to keep from moving to give himself as much time as possible to get his bearings before his attackers noticed he was awake. He hadn't been in this situation often, but had enough to value every advantage he could wrangle.

"He's up."

A rough paw slapped his face. Nick sputtered, struggling up from prone, and came face-to-face with Rufus. The dog, crouched in front of Nick, grinned at him.

"Morning, Tod." Nick snapped at Rufus' paw, earning a slap in return. "Careful, Tod, or we'll have to stick you in a muzzle." A number of laughs drew enough of Nick's attention to see that most of the rest of the king's bodyguards were circled around him and Rufus.

"I'd like to see you try to do that without losing a finger." 

There was another round of laughter.

"Oh, you really _don't_ know anything about Europa, if you think we don't have tools just for that. But hey, Tod, if we all act civilized, as hard as that is for some of us, no one needs to muzzle anyone."

"Civilized? I'm a police officer. _You're_ just a bunch of cut-rate would-be assassins."

"If you think I'm worried about a fox's accusations-"

"Oh, come on. You're going to kill me anyway."

Silence fell for a brief moment, and Nick felt a hitch to his breathing. If he was wrong, they'd get offended, or laugh it off.

"You're a sly fox, Tod. Things will be...easier if we have a dead culprit to point to."

"As opposed to you."

Rufus laughed. "Well, Steve, I think, actually did most of the work. Blood Blossoms disagree with me."

"Glad to see you can't even do your own dirty work."

"We all took the serum," Rufus retorted. "And in that state...well, it's hard to say exactly what happened."

"You killed your confederate, Doug."

"Unfortunate, but necessary."

"And all for what? So your Duke Tony can take the throne?"

"So he can bring law and order back to Europa!" Rufus snapped. "Ever since our illustrious king outlawed pred hunts _by decree_ \- he couldn't even get the votes to pass it through the legislature - the country's been falling apart. Savages can't understand how to keep the peace; it's why we needed the pred hunts! We don't need fox _police_."

Nick felt a growl building in his throat. "If he tries to bring back _pred hunts_ , you'll see what a country falling apart _really_ looks like."

"Yeah, that was always a big sticking point. Savages are dangerous, vicious. They wouldn't understand. And if they decided to make trouble...why, it'd be like the bad old days, when preds ate prey and prey looked up to the toughest omnivores to keep them safe. But then I remembered what I learned about the Blood Blossom War - how Bigwig took out a pack of timberwolves while high on Blood Blossoms. With that sort of firepower on the side of law and order, the savages wouldn't dare fight back."

"With one minor complication."

Rufus snorted. "Yes. And then I lucked on an article about your partner and the Night Howlers, how you've got doctors who could reverse the effects. All we needed was some of that cure to work with."

Behind Rufus, the other dogs were tugging small cups from their pockets. Each one was filled with a dark red liquid.

"I'd planned to pin this on Sir Goldenrod and his Initiates of Mann. But having them drag a Zootopian police officer into their plot...well, that's a nice touch. Might even show this place that you savages can't be trusted."

"We weathered a lot worse than you, so don't you dare think we'll sink to your level."

Rufus smiled gently, condescendingly. "I don't see optimism a lot in your kind. I can't say it impresses."

"So now what?"

"Now, we're going to have ourselves a good old-fashioned fox hunt. A wild fox sneaking onto the grounds - well, His Grace will understand. But don't worry; you're not going to be defenseless." Rufus grabbed Nick's jaw, forcing it open and pouring a rancid liquid down Nick's throat. He tried to cough, choke, but Rufus forced his mouth closed, covering his nose, forcing Nick to choose between swallowing and suffocating.

He sputtered when Rufus finally let go. "What was that?"

"Blood Blossom extract. Dilute, naturally. You won't die. Well, not from the flowers."

The scent of dog seemed to intensify, and the distant sounds of birds and insects grew sharper, clearer. But at the same time, Nick could feel his heartbeat in his head speeding up.

"We'll give you a five minute head start. I'd advise you make use of it."

Nick didn't need to be told twice. He bolted. He was on a wide patio, trellises full of Blood Blossoms lining the space. Beyond was a rocky valley full of trees, clearly the intended scene of his lynching.

As his heart sped up, and the sounds and scents and sights of his surroundings grew sharper and more insistent, Nick found the minutes flowing together. He was running, dodging around rocks and trees to find some sort of safety, bolthole, or _anything_ to get away. Behind him, a chorus of barks heralded the start of the hunt.

He didn't know how long he ran, haunted by the cries of the dogs, how many times he dodged a bite or lost them momentarily. But there was no doubt about the outcome.

Nick was no cheetah, but he was not made for a long chase. He was soon winded, a stitch in his side, and the dogs were drawing closer. They were barking and laughing, not as savage as Nick would have expected. He turned to bolt away from the approaching dogs, but froze when he caught the scent of more dogs approaching from behind.

They spread out, moving until Nick was at the center of a ten-yard circle of dogs. Rufus wasn't among them, but eleven was more than enough to kill Nick.

"You planning to fight back, Tod? It's no fun if you don't fight."

Nick wanted to growl. He wanted to whine. He wanted anything except to be certain that he was about to die.

A scream, high-pitched, full-throated, and piercing, rang through the valley. The dogs raised their heads, tilted quizzically toward the embassy building. But Nick's heart surged, a furious sense of defiance against his fate, because though he'd never heard that sound before, he knew that voice.

"Judy!"

Another, less unnerving scream, echoed through the air. It ended abruptly with a wet sound. And then Nick heard, distant but very clear, movement through the underbrush of the forest. The dog nearest the building was turning just before a blue-and-grey form burst from the bushes, lunging at him.

Judy clambered up the dog, digging in her nails for leverage and eliciting a pained yelp. He tried to bite at her, but she responded in kind, biting down hard on his nose. Blood ran freely from the wound as she slammed her head into his face. The dog fell without another sound, and Judy launched herself at another dog.

This one seemed to think he was ready, crouching to grab Judy in mid-air. This resulted in a scuffle, a blurred scramble of limbs that ended when Judy's legs snapped up into the dog's jaw. A loud crack accompanied an unsteady step back before the dog fell to his knees. Judy was already sprinting toward another opponent.

Three of the dogs tried to take her at once, but moving low and fast, Judy dropped them in seconds. Her teeth weren't made to rip and tear, but she bit hard, and at least one bone cracked when she twisted her head with her teeth still in her assailant's foreleg. Blood pooled underneath each of them as they collapsed.

When a pair of dogs approached her, Judy scrambled halfway up a tree, crouched sideways, and then threw herself at one of her targets. The force of the impact send him sprawling back into his compatriot, and Judy, apparently in no mood to waste time, used one skull to bludgeon the other.

When she turned on the remaining four, their ears fell back, tails curled behind them, and Nick wanted to laugh, that for all the effort they'd put into getting an antidote to Blood Blossoms, it couldn't stand up to one rabbit fighting for someone she loved.

"If you lay one _paw_ on him…"

Finishing the threat seemed beyond her, but none of the dogs seemed inclined to question what the consequences would be.

Rufus then stumbled into the clearing. One eye was bloodshot and the other swollen shut. He was moving stiffly, blood soaking his pant legs, but his ears were forward, alert, and his teeth bared.

"What are you doing? There are four of you and one of her!"

"Well, it's entirely possible they've realized they're participating in an illegal fox hunt. That they're guilty of attempted regicide, murder of a foreign national, and a little thing I like to call _treason_." A tan fox in a faded blue coat stepped into the clearing a few yards from Rufus. "G'day, Rufus. You laughed when I said you wouldn't get away with this, so I hope you'll understand I want to relish this moment."

" _Felix_?"

The tan fox didn't spare a glance for Nick, keeping his gaze fixed on Rufus. "And I can see you reevaluating, Rufus. You're not certain how long I've been poking around inside the embassy. Whether I found the bank records showing you paid the sheep who stole samples of the Night Howler antitoxin. Whether I pulled the GPS records from your car." His ears perked at the distant sound of sirens. "Whether I called the _police_."

Rufus sneered. "They don't have jurisdiction."

Felix rolled his eyes. "They were invited by a member of His Majesty's diplomatic team. One whose authority in the area of criminal activity is second _only to His Majesty_. Now, if you want any hope of leniency, Rufus, you'll hand over the Blood Blossom serum I know you've got on you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really? The patio back there is full of Blood Blossoms. This rabbit ate two of them because she needed to fight off a pack of dogs trying to kill her partner."

Rufus glanced at Judy, who was still standing between Nick and every other upright creature in the clearing. She didn't look back at Nick, but she was shaking. He felt a curl of worry in his stomach, sharper than the panic that had overtaken him when the dogs had been chasing him.

"Carrots?"

"I had to take on twelve dogs, Nick. I couldn't let them kill you."

"You _dumb bunny_." Nick's voice wavered despite his best efforts, and his chest grew tight, because Judy was so _stupid_ , she was going to leave him _alone_...

"So, y'see, she's going to die at some point in the next half hour when her heart finally gives out or her lung ruptures, or a vein in her brain bursts. And then you're going to be a marked mammal. There's a lot of venues. Of course, Officer Wilde make take it into his head to kill you himself. I can't imagine he'd see much point in keeping on this law and order thing when it got his partner killed. But Hopps has friends in low places. You ever heard of Mr. Big? He won't take to kindly to the dog who got his grand-daughter's godmother killed. But then again…"

Felix produced a pistol with a flourish, flicking off the safety in the same movement. "I might just kill you right here."

"You wouldn't."

Felix snorted. "They never kept records on the old fox hunts, so I've no idea who actually killed my parents. But a dog fighting to bring that sort of brutality back, well, it'd be worth losing my job over."

And Nick didn't know if it was the promise that Nick, or Mr. Big, or maybe even the Hopps clan, would make Rufus pay, or something he saw in Felix's expression, but Rufus fumbled in his coat, pulled a vial from an inner pocket, and handed it to Felix.

"Ah, thank you." Felix took the vial in a gloved paw and slipped it into a clear evidence bag, which he then secreted into one of his pockets. "Catch." He produced a second vial and tossed it at Nick. Nick fumbled, briefly, but caught it. Between the rush of the Blood Blossoms and the worry over Judy, Nick couldn't quite keep his mental footing.

Rufus, however, seemed to be on more solid ground. "If you already _had_ a sample-"

"No one except the people responsible for this mess would have this serum," Felix drawled. "And in any case, I thought the Zootopians would appreciate something to analyze when they try to keep this one's heart from exploding. Nick, you might want to…"

"Oh!" Nick scrambled to Judy, whose breath seemed to be coming hard. "Cottontail, are you with me?"

"Sure. Just...feel a little light-headed. You're okay?"

"Yeah, Carrots, thanks to you. But now I gotta take care of you." He tugged Judy around; she moved slowly, though he could feel her pulse racing. He popped open the vial and held it up to her mouth. She gagged on the first sip, though. "Hey, relax. Judy, I need you to finish this."

"I'm not a kit." She grabbed the vial and downed the rest of it. She swayed a few times, eyes fluttering closed.

"Judy?"

She slumped soundlessly to the ground.


	17. Chapter 17

It was a close call. Strictly speaking, the serum the dogs had been carrying on them was a mix of Blood Blossom extract and the antidote, which meant drinking it had briefly enhanced the effects of the flowers Judy had already eaten.

But the timely arrival of their backup _and_ an ambulance had given them an opportunity to stabilize her and begin assessing the damage.

She'd torn or strained half the muscles in her legs, broken her wrist, was suffering the effects of mild heat stroke, and, the doctor determined, had a "miniature heart attack". Nick _still_ wasn't certain if they were making a bad joke or if Judy had actually had a heart attack. Regardless, the entire ordeal had left her exhausted, as she hadn't woken in the six hours since she'd collapsed.

Felix, who was apparently a _cop_ , was off coordinating the write-up of the evidence, a fact for which Nick was grateful because it meant he could stay here to keep an eye on Judy. 

And think. They'd dragged in the entire security team, and found the Duke to get him under an appropriate guard. There'd been some diplomatic questioning before Chief Bogo had declared they let the question of whether the Duke was involved go. But Nick had to admit feeling like they were missing something, someone else who'd had a paw in the plot. The conspirators had waited until Sir Goldenrod was out of the way, Scrofass and Mellivora asleep, and the Doctor-

"How is _His Majesty_?" 

Nick scrambled down from his chair before pausing, warring between the urge to keep an eye on Judy and to _find someone_. Because when the police knocked on your door, you asked what was happening. Because the only people who'd know the king might be in danger were those who knew someone was plotting to kill him. An endocrinologist - one of the few people who could make the Night Howler antidote work with an entirely different species of flower, especially since they'd _killed_ Doug.

The door swung in to admit a blue-clad nurse carrying a black bag over her shoulder. Nick's nose flared - rabbit.

The door clicked shut, and Nick revised his assessment. Not a rabbit - a _hare_.

The Doctor made a disapproving click with her tongue. "You're not doing anyone any favors camping out here." She rummaged through her bag before producing a bagged syringe and a small bottle filled with milky fluid. She drew out a small amount of the fluid and then, holding the needle carefully, approached Judy's bed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

The hare gave Nick a long stare before turning back to Judy. "She's still quite weak. Please don't worry about this," she said, gesturing at the needle, "I'm a professional."

"I think maybe we should wait for her doctor to drop by." Nick edged around the bed, trying to move slowly enough that he could get close before the Doctor noticed. "Make sure there's no unpleasant drug interactions."

"I know what I'm doing, Tod."

The door swung open behind the Doctor; startled, she slid just behind it. Constable Mellivora stepped inside. Nick opened his mouth to say anything - a warning, and then the Doctor jammed the syringe into Mellivora's neck.

The badger choked once and dropped.

The Doctor kicked the door shut and locked it. She gave Mellivora's body a disdainful glance. "Shame. I liked her."

Nick grabbed the nearest object at hand, the TV remote, and threw it at the Doctor. She dodged easily before flipping out another syringe from her bag.

"I meant what I said earlier; you're doing no one any favors here." When Nick took a step closer, the Doctor brandished the syringe. "Ah! You wouldn't want to get stuck with this, Tod. Blue krait venom kills half its victims, even if you _have_ antivenom. Which no one in Zootopia does - I checked."

A chill ran along Nick's spine at the thought of what could have happened if he hadn't been here. "What are you doing this for? Your plan _failed_."

"Tsk. When Rufus came to me with his big plot, I had my doubts. Which is why I've got this." The Doctor lifted her bag an inch. "No one's implicated me yet, and I figure if I leave a long enough trail of bodies, they won't want to. To be honest, I didn't care much for Rufus' plan, anyway. We half-breeds got the short end of both sticks under the old way of doing things."

"So what? You did this for-"

"For the _challenge_ of it, of course! To render Blood Blossoms safe, to make a tool that can enhance the natural strengths of a mammal to such a phenomenal degree - I don't expect you to understand."

"I guess not." Nick fought to keep his tone light, his pose casual. He needed to keep her talking - every second she wasn't actively trying to kill him and Judy, the more likely someone would figure out something was wrong and save them.

"Well, this chat has been lovely and all, but I've got about a dozen other patients to attend to-"

"Wait!"

The Doctor paused, giving Nick a narrow stare. "What?"

"There's something you need to know before you do this."

The Doctor sighed and shrugged. "What's that?"

Behind the Doctor, Mellivora rose with a furious roar. "I'm a _honey badger_ , you scheming _twit_! I eat cobras for _breakfast_!" She grabbed the syringe from the Doctor, crushing it in one paw, and Nick burst into motion. He grabbed the Doctor's bag and yanked it down, punching at the back of her knees at the same time. The hare yelped and fell, and Nick used the momentum of the bag to roll her onto her stomach as she fell. And then a knee to the back, a paw holding her arms behind her, and the threat of a furious honey badger had the Doctor immobilized.

Panting, heart racing, he glanced up at Mellivora, who didn't look like she was inches from death. Nick offered her a weak smile. "That was, in all honesty, not what I was going to say, but good timing, Gerty. Can I call you Gerty? Anyway, Doctor...Z-"

"Eirwen Zema," Mellivora supplied.

"Eirwen Zema, you're under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, attempted murder of an officer of the law, conspiracy, treason, probably - Felix was throwing that word around a lot. You have a right to an attorney; we've got a crack team that'll help if you can't afford one. We can't force you to talk, but will use anything you say in building our case against you. Any questions?"

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to make a deal?"

"I wouldn't hold my breath. After all, you tried to kill my _partner_ , and that means I'm going to do everything in my power to see you in prison for the rest of your life. And Constable? I don't suppose you have any pawcuffs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> True fact! Honey badgers evolved a complex set of venom resistances because eating venomous snakes cuts down on competition for food.


	18. Chapter 18

"This is ridiculous. I'm _fine_ , Nick." Despite her protest, Judy didn't actually struggle as Nick carried her up the stairs to her apartment. Moving her legs more than absolutely necessary still sent shooting pains along the tendons, and walking more than a few feet still left her a little winded.

"Do you want to walk that back before I have to admit to sneaking a peek at your chart, Carrots? Or we can discuss the chat your doctor had with me before they discharged you."

Judy sighed and let her head fall against Nick's chest. The steady rhythm made the pain easier to tolerate. After all, every ache was earned keeping her partner safe. Nick's movements slowed, and she turned her head just enough to meet his eyes. He was smiling, gently.

"What?"

"Just glad you're alive," he said. "We both came close."

"Yeah, we gotta stop doing this."

Nick laughed, making his chest rumble like a cat's purr. "I doubt we'll ever manage that. But...can I ask a favor?"

"Hm?"

"Don't...scare me like that again."

"Can't promise that." Judy was feeling drowsy; the ride home had apparently taken more out of her than she'd thought. "If it comes down to me or you, I gotta keep you safe."

"Same here, partner."

Someday, they were going to probably have to talk about this in depth, about what were considered acceptable risks in the line of duty, in keeping each other safe. But right now, they were both alive, and nestled in Nick's arms, Judy couldn't be safer.

"Love you."

"That, you don't even need to say. Now let's get you comfortable and back up to speed before I go crazy working with the bozos we call coworkers. None of them are half the cop you are, Judy."

"Biased."

Nick chuckled as he unlocked Judy's door and maneuvered her inside without hitting anything. "Ah - ah! I love you _because_ you're the best cop on the force, not vice versa." He placed Judy gently on a soft surface, and then withdrew. Judy shivered from the lost warmth.

"Don't go."

Blankets shifted, pulled over her form, replacing some of the warmth Nick had taken with him. "Dumb bunny, to think I'd leave you on your own like this." He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "Now get some sleep and you'll be back on your feet in no time."

Judy drifted slowly to sleep, certain, as consciousness slipped away, that Nick was singing again.

"All will be well when the day is done…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it, folks! (haha, I am lying. I can't just write stuff and stop. But *this* story's over) I hope you enjoyed it, because I had fun writing it.
> 
> "Day is Done" is copyright Peter Paul and Mary, 1969


End file.
